Finding Faith
by SiennaS
Summary: This story was formally released under the name Leap of Faith. I've had numerous requests to repost. In order to do so I needed to find the original and change the name. Enjoy! Lexi Hart is a WWE diva who has been burned before when it comes to love. She's only interested in her career. That is until Roman Reigns walks into her world. Roman Reigns/OC
1. Chapter 1

To those of you who messaged me requesting I repost my stories, here you go. I'd thought I'd lost them after I took them down, but have been able to find them on various jump drives and memory cards. For reasons I'd rather not go into, I did feel the need to change the name. Let's just say legalities are involved.

Now for those of you who are new to my stories and my writing style, I will tell you right up front I write romance and my original fiction characters are going to be seen by some as Pollyannas or Mary Sues. This is how I write and if you don't like those characters, then please don't bother reading my stories and please, please, don't leave reviews or message me saying as much about my characters. I already know and I don't plan on changing them.

Now that I've said my peace, I hope you all enjoy the stories, even with all their flaws.

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Chapter 1

Lexi checked the schedule sheet a second time then glanced at her watch. Six hours until they went live and she still didn't know what this notation on the sheet Huntered 'The Shield Enters' meant. When she agreed to temporarily take on the tasks of the backstage coordinator, the one stipulation she'd made was no surprises. Guess she shouldn't be shocked that the agreement didn't last. Vince and Hunter would have probably promised her the moon to get her to say yes.

Of course, no one, especially Lexi expected Emma, the current backstage coordinator to suffer acute appendicitis and end up out for at least six weeks. Her absence left management scrambling to cover one of the most important positions in the company. Jackie, the assistant coordinator had taken on only as much work as she'd wanted and it far from covered everything that needed done.

With Emma facing a slow and possibly painful recovery, the last thing Lexi had wanted was her friend worrying about work and letting management down. So when Emma recommended for Lexi to step up and take over she'd said yes out of loyalty to her friend and the company.

Growing up in a wrestling family and spending nearly all her life immersed in the business, Lexi knew not only the ins and outs of the business, but how difficult Vince could be to work for. Still, Vince and the entire McMahon-Helmsley family had done nothing but treat her with the utmost respect since she'd signed on nearly ten years earlier.

She'd come to love this company and there was little she wouldn't do for it or the McMahons, including setting aside her wrestling career to take on the task of coordinator. In return, Hunter had the writers provide Lexi with a personal storyline and some on-stage time by creating an up-and-coming team for her to manage. Still, she'd rather go back to wrestling beside Natalia and representing their family in the ring.

"Would you stop looking at your watch," Jackie snapped. "You're not going to slow time you know."

Lexi let out a sigh. Too bad she couldn't really figure out how to slow time, because right now she needed at least an extra hour to get everything on their list completed before show time. "I know, but this 'The Shield' notation is making me nervous. Why hasn't anyone told us what this is about?"

Jackie shook her head. "I have no clue, but I figure if they wanted us to know they would have told us by now. So why worry about it."

Lexi barely refrained from rolling her eyes at the younger girl's statement. Sometimes she wondered how Emma worked on a daily basis with Jackie. The girl had a lazy streak a mile wide and an attitude to match. "I think as the people in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly, we should be privy to even the most secret of storylines."

Jackie shrugged. "Obviously upper management doesn't agree. Why sweat it? If something goes wrong, you can simply say you were following orders. You can't be blamed for what you weren't told, right?"

"Wrong," Lexi argued. "It's just possible that the writers and management didn't realize or think about us needing to know this info. How can we make the show better if we don't know what we need to know? Maybe somebody should have a sit down with management and explain what it is we do and don't need to know."

Jackie leveled an annoyed look in her direction. "Well, why don't you go tell the writers that?"

"Why me?" Lexi asked.

"Because you're Lexi Hart," Jackie shot back. "I'm just a hired no name who is supposed to shut up and do my job."

"Fine," Lexi huffed. While she was there, she'd also talk to Hunter about replacing Jackie with someone more driven to give their best to this company. Jackie's shut up and do-only-my-job-and-nothing-more attitude would eventually cause huge problems. So if Jackie wasn't going to do anything then she would. "I'll be back." She turned and ran smack into a hard wall of muscle. Shock ricocheted through her system and a gasp slipped from her lips as her forward motion suddenly reversed with the impact.

She took a step back trying to regain her balance, but it was the two hands that grabbed her by the arms, that, in the end, kept Lexi from tumbling backward.

"Easy, sweetheart," a low, sexy and totally unfamiliar voice rumbled above her, causing a reactionary shiver to ripple through her system. For a moment she froze, too stunned by her body's response to move. As reality began to return, she shifted her gaze on the man who'd kept her from falling on her ass. Well-defined muscles hid beneath a tight fitting black T-shirt and held up a set of broad, strong shoulders and bulging biceps. Impressed, she allowed her gaze to travel higher and noted the squared, chiseled jaw hidden beneath a dark goatee. Full, supple lips appeared to tip up around the edges, as if he found the situation slightly amusing, though his piercing brown eyes staring down at her revealed something other than amusement.

The intensity in his gaze caused Lexi pause. Mesmerized, she barely remembered to breathe as she stared up at the fine specimen of man before her.

"Lexi," Hunter's familiar voice broke the spell and she slowly turned to look at her friend and boss. "You okay?"

"Um." She raked a now shaky hand through her hair and glanced back at the dark, sexy man still standing way to close for comfort. "Yeah, I think." Refocusing, she turned her attention back to Hunter.

"Good." Hunter gave a nod. "Because I'd like to introduce you to three new wrestlers who will be joining our roster." He motioned to a thinner man with two-tone hair. "This is Seth Rollins." He turned to another man standing next to Seth. "Dean Ambrose." Then he motioned to the man standing behind her and smirked. "And you've already met Roman Reigns. Gentlemen this is Lexi Hart. Lexi is not only one of our more prominent Diva's, but she's our resident jack-of-all-trades." Hunter praised.

Lexi's gaze shifted from man to man. "Gentleman," she replied, slowly regaining her composure. "Welcome to the WWE."

"They will be working together under the name The Shield," Hunter continued.

Wide eyed, she shifted her gaze back to Hunter. "So the mystery is finally revealed."

Hunter chuckled. "I suppose you could say that. I meant to get over here sooner and explain, but things have been crazy today. Anyway, they've already been briefed about the show tonight and know what they're doing, so just go along with whatever happens. After tonight you'll need to get with them and bring them up to speed on procedures and such." He turned to face the men. "If you guys have any questions, Lexi is the resident go to person."

"Good to know," Roman's sexy voice carried over her shoulder and awareness skittered up her spine as she glanced back at him. For the second time in nearly as many minutes, he pinned her with a piercing look. In an instant, desire flared through her system, heating her body from the inside out. Her mind scrambled to regain control. What was it about this man that caused such a violent reaction deep within her? More important, how in the hell was she going to control it?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lexi picked at the fruit on her plate while she contemplated a second cup of coffee. Last night's show went off without problems, but something still nagged at her. Her concern caused a restless night and this morning she felt the effects. She forked up another piece of honeydew as she tried to analyze her feelings. What was it about Roman Reigns that pulled such a fierce response from her?

She'd spent her life around half-naked men, some with excellently chiseled bodies, and not once felt as she had last night. So what caused her reaction and more important, how could she prevent it from occurring again? After the way her last relationship ended, the last thing she wanted was to get involved with another superstar.

"You're in deep thought."

At the sound of a familiar voice, she glanced up to find Kaitlyn standing next to her, breakfast tray in hand. "Just replaying last night's show."

"Mind if I join you?"

Lexi pointed to the chair opposite her. "Please."

Kaitlyn slid into the empty seat and set her tray on the table. "So how do you like being the backstage coordinator?"

Lexi didn't bother hiding her groan. "It's stressful. Emma makes it look so damn easy. Honestly, I don't know how she does it."

Kaitlyn grinned as she picked up her fork. "I had a feeling you'd regret saying yes."

"I don't regret saying yes and it wouldn't be so bad if Jackie actually pulled her weight." Lexi shook her head. "I'm telling you Kay the girl is a huge waste of space."

"Tell me something I don't know," Kaitlyn replied. "Everybody knows she'd been riding Emma's coattails for years."

_Yeah, everybody but management._ Lexi opened her mouth to reply. Before she said a word, her skin began to tingle with awareness, derailing her thoughts.

"Lexi?" Kaitlyn's eyes widened. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Lexi glanced over her shoulder in time to see Seth, Dean, and Roman walk into the dining area. Without missing a step, Roman turned his head and looked directly at her. In an instant his expression went from neutral to smoldering as he held her gaze. Heat blossomed deep in her belly and disbursed through her system at the speed of light. Her breathing hitched and more than just her palms dampened in response.

She wanted to look away, to feign indifference, but some unidentifiable force prevented her from moving. As if he somehow knew her plight, his lips turned ever-so-slightly up at the edges before he finally broke their connection and turned his attention back to his teammates.

"Holy Hell. Who is that?" Kaitlyn asked, the tone in her voice betraying her shock.

Lexi turned back to look at her friend and took a deep breath, attempting to steady her suddenly jumbled nerves. "T-that, is the three new stars from NXT that started last night."

Kaitlyn glanced from her to the men and back. "You met them already?"

Lexi wanted to pick up her coffee cup, but feared Kaitlyn would see her shaking hands. Instead, she nodded and left her hands in her lap. "Hunter introduced them last night. They came on after your match, so you probably didn't get a chance to see them."

"I definitely didn't see them." Kaitlyn eyed the men. "Who's the one with the long dark hair?"

Finally feeling a little calmer, Lexi again reached for her coffee. "That's Roman Reigns."

"He's totally got a thing for you." Kaitlyn glanced from the men back to Lexi.

Lexi had just managed to take a drink of coffee when Kaitlyn's statement registered. She gasped in response and immediately began to choke, spewing coffee onto her plate in the process. Her hands began to shake again causing her to nearly drop her cup on the table.

"Crap, Lexi. Are you okay?"

Lexi nodded and managed to take in several gasping breaths. "Jeez, Kay, don't do that."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you choke, but the way he looked at you when he came in…" She leaned back in her chair and fanned herself with her napkin. "Damn!"

"Aren't you being a bit dramatic?" Lexi asked, hoping to dispel some of Kaitlyn's observation.

"Dramatic is exactly what that look was he gave you. He looked as if he was starving and you were about to become lunch."

"That's ridiculous," she replied, though she'd felt that knowing hunger too.

Kaitlyn tossed her napkin on the table and folded her arms. "Is it? If there's nothing between you two, then how did you know he was coming in when your back was to him?"

Lexi frowned. "What?"

"Don't play stupid with me, Lexi. You stopped mid-sentence and looked directly at him as he walked into the room. No way could you have known he was coming in at that very moment. I'm telling you, there's something between you two. Now spill it. What's going on?"

Lexi knew her friend well enough to realize there wasn't any way to deflect Kaitlyn's interest. With a resigned sigh, she shook her head. "I don't know, Kay. I can't even begin to explain it. There's just something about him."

"Yeah, he's gorgeous."

Lexi grinned at the obviousness of her friend's statement. "Well, there definitely is that, but it's more. It's intangible, undefinable, but as real as you are to me right now." And it scared the hell out of her.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Wasn't that the same question she'd been asking herself since their first encounter last night? "Nothing," she said after a long moment of contemplation.

"Nothing?" Kaitlyn's eyes widened in shock. "You can't be serious?"

Feeling just a bit stronger in her resolve, Lexi gave a solid nod. "Completely. I'm not going down that road again only to end up having my heart crushed into dust." She lifted her chin as defiance took a strong hold against desire. "Been there, done that, and it's not worth the price."

"Now wait just a minute." Kaitlyn rested her elbows on the table. "You can't condemn all men based on the actions of one."

"Can't I?" Lexi shot back as a sudden, unexpected wave of emotion threatened to swamp her. _Damn it!_ Nearly two years later and the bastard still had the ability to inflict pain.

"Oh honey, don't do that." Kaitlyn grabbed Lexi's hand and squeezed. "I know he hurt you, but it's been long enough. You need to put this behind you and move on."

Lexi wiped at an errant tear with her free hand. Of course, Kaitlyn was right, but saying it was easy; doing it…not so much. Letting go and stopping the pain required a level of strength she didn't seem to possess. "You're right, but we were together for five years. I gave him everything I had and he betrayed me. He not only broke my heart, but he publically embarrassed me."

"I know," Kaitlyn soothed. "I was new here, but I remember. _And_ you need to remember that in the end he's gone and you're still here, thriving. So who really got the better deal?"

Kaitlyn's logic pulled a watery smile from her. "So are you telling me that his injury was karma biting him in the ass for treating me so badly?"

"Absolutely." Kaitlyn slid a sideways glance toward the far wall where the three new stars sat. "And that man over there is karma's way of paying you back for what you endured. Don't you dare miss this opportunity to find love again or I'm going to kick your ass."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Roman opened the door to the weight room and stopped at the sight of Lexi in front of the mirror doing arm curls. Her attention shifted from watching her form to looking at him and she gave him a sexy smile. "What took you so long? I've been waiting here for what seems like hours."_

_His heart skipped a beat then sped up its pace. He stepped inside, let go of the door and waited until he heard the solid thud behind him, then stalked toward her with one purpose in mind. "You know I'd never intentionally keep you waiting, right?"_

_She returned the weight to the rack and stood to face him, her lean frame slick with perspiration. His fingers itched to slip around her waist and feel the warmth of her flesh, and his mouth watered in anticipation of her kiss. _

Lingering in that space between dream and consciousness, Roman rolled onto his side and reached for Lexi. The moment his hand came in contact with cool fabric instead of her warm body he opened his eyes. _Damn it!_ Disappointment washed through him as cold reality set in.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and raked a hand through his tangled hair. For the past two weeks, she'd dominated his thoughts and starred in his dreams. Never, in all his life had any woman consumed him the way she did.

That fact both excited and bothered him. He'd driven himself hard to get to the big leagues of wrestling. Now that he'd arrived, proving his worth should be his only priority. Yet, he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything but her.

The right thing to do would be to ignore her and refocus his efforts. After all, she seemed to be doing her best to ignore him, but he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. Not when her mere presence pulled at him so deeply he felt it in his soul.

The electricity from touching her just that one time stirred his erotic fantasies and like an addict he wanted more. Yet, beyond the obvious physical attraction they seemed to share lay something else; something intangible, magnetizing and very, very real. Almost as if they shared some sort of mental connection, some aura that no one else could see.

Waking up without her conjured such a letdown feeling he damn near wanted to cry.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed up from the bed and headed for the bathroom. Another day, another city, and with any luck, another chance to get closer to Lexi Hart. Pent up need, left over from his dream, gnawed at him, demanding to be sated. He turned on the shower, set the taps, then stripped out of his boxers and stepped inside.

With his back to the spray, he took a moment to let the water beat against his skin. Then leaned his head backward and enjoyed the feel of it soaking his hair and cascading down his body. He closed his eyes only to have a mental image of Lexi, her naked body wet and soapy, consume his thoughts.

On a groan of frustration, he leaned forward and rested his head against the cool tile. God, what he wouldn't give to have her trim, muscular body in his bed, writhing beneath him as he showed her just how he felt. In his dreams she'd cried his name out in passionate release. Would it sound as beautiful in real life?

"Fuck!" He smacked the wall, sending water spraying in all directions, then turned to face the stream. This daydreaming was pointless and detrimental. He'd spent years honing his skills as a Dom and knew how to control and channel his emotions and needs. So why couldn't he get his shit together when it came to Lexi Hart?

Frustrated by his lack of control, he adjusted the tap so the water ran cold. Masked by the sound of running water, he could have easily found the relief he so desperately sought. He'd done it before, in other circumstances, but something about this situation made the act feel wrong and disrespectful. A cold shower wouldn't be nearly as pleasant, but it would be effective and leave him guilt free. After all, the last thing he needed right now was another damn emotion to wrestle.

Twenty minutes later he stalked into the hotel cafeteria, grabbed a plate and began piling on food. Eventually satisfied he had enough on his plate, he scanned the dining area with the hope of finding Lexi. Instead, he spotted his teammates, Dean and Seth sitting in the corner. Disappointed yet again that morning, he marched over to where the men sat, nearly dropped his tray onto the table, and slid into the empty seat.

He caught Dean and Seth exchange looks and immediately went on the defense. "What?" After all, he had just as much right as anyone else to have a bad day.

Dean shook his head. "Nothing. You just seem a bit moody is all."

Roman scooped up a fork filled with scrambled eggs. "I didn't sleep well."

"Again?" Seth observed. "You haven't slept well since we arrived. What's going on with you?"

"I'll tell you what's going on," Dean offered. "Roman's allowed a woman to derail him."

Seth arched a brow. "Really? Well, I'll admit there are some fine looking Diva's here. It's easy to get derailed. So who's the lucky woman?"

Dean grinned. "The Hitman's daughter."

"Damn, bro," Seth dropped his fork on his plate. "When you aim, you aim high. She's downright gorgeous."

Trying desperately to ignore his buddies, Roman rolled his eyes skyward and forked up another mouthful of food as Dean shared what he thought he knew.

"True enough, but from what I hear she's lugging around a ton of baggage."

Roman stopped chewing and shot Dean a frown. "How do you know that?"

"When I realized who you've been focused on, I started asking around. From what I've learned, she was romantically involved with another wrestler a few years back. My sources tell me, their relationship was volatile to say the least and it ended with him breaking her heart. Some say he's the reason for that car accident about two years back that nearly killed her."

"I remember hearing about that." Seth pointed at Dean. "I thought it was just a storyline to give her some time off." He cocked his head to the side and shot Dean a curious look. "That accident wasn't scripted?"

Dean shook his head as Roman now listened on with much interest. Maybe Dean's PI work might explain Lexi's aloofness with him. "Definitely not scripted. Apparently, she suffered some internal injuries and damn near died. After that, she apparently swore off men to focus on her career and hasn't dated since."

Seth folded his arms across his chest and looked at Roman. "Damn, Roman. Looks like you have your work cut out for you if you insist on pursuing this chick."

Did his buddies think he'd be deterred by this information? If anything, knowing what he was up against would make the task easier. He smirked at Seth. "Haven't you ever heard that old saying _Anything Worth Having Is Worth Fighting For_? As far as I'm concerned, the more I know what I'm up against the easier it will be to win her heart."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Roman walked into catering and directly into what appeared to be a birthday party. Music blared, and stars mingled, some broken off in groups laughing and talking, but he couldn't see Lexi anywhere. He made his way to the table and found a giant cake with **Happy Birthday Kaitlyn** written in blue icing. Well, he'd be sure to wish the pretty little Diva with the two tone hair a happy birthday. In the meantime he wanted to find Lexi.

He snagged a piece of cake and a bottle of water and headed out of catering. If he knew Lexi like he thought, he'd find her hard at work getting ready for the show that night. Sure enough, he rounded the corner to the staging area and found Lexi sitting cross-legged on a crate, staring at her phone.

Careful not to startle her, he dragged his booted feet across the concrete, making noise. She looked up, and a smile slowly slid across her face. His entire body warmed with knowledge that she was happy to see him.

"Hey, handsome. What cha got there?" She eyed the plate.

"A slice of Kaitlyn's birthday cake." He held the plate out for her to inspect.

She arched a brow. "Mmm…chocolate." Then she slid over and made room for him to sit.

He eased down next to her and set the plate down beside him. "So why are you here instead of being back in catering with everyone else?"

She shrugged. "I didn't really feel like celebrating. I'll catch Kaitlyn later and wish here a happy birthday."

He nodded. "What are you watching?"

She glanced at her phone. "Oh, it's nothing." She started to slide it into her pocket.

_Oh no, you don't._ He reached for her hand, stopping her. "Lexi."

She froze, her gaze slowly drifting up to look at him. There was sadness in her eyes that pulled at his heart. "What has you so sad, sweetheart?"

On a sigh she held her smartphone up and pressed the Play button on the screen.

Roman leaned in closer so he could see and was surprised to realize the woman on the screen was Lexi. She was watching an old match of her wrestling fellow Diva Aksana, and she was kicking Aksana's ass.

Lexi kicked Aksana in the stomach, causing the brunette to double over. Then she grabbed Aksana by the hand and Irish whipped her into the corner. She ran at full force and slammed against Aksana, knocking the air out of the other woman. Aksana fell forward onto her hands and knees only to have Lexi deliver a leg to the back of her head, driving her face into the mat.

He slid a sideways glance at Lexi, who appeared engrossed in watching the match. Seeing her so aggressive, so full of passion for their sport, sent desire spiraling through him. If she displayed that kind of passion in the ring, just how much passion would she display in bed? "Do you miss wrestling?"

She turned her attention from the screen to him. "Yes." Her one-syllable answer held so much emotion. He set the plate aside and slipped an arm around her. Much to his surprise she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her hair and turned his attention back to the screen in time to see Lexi deliver a running bulldog to Aksana, planting the other woman's face in the mat. "How long before Emma comes back?"

She sighed. "A couple more weeks."

"Then you're able to get back in the ring?"

She nodded. "Sparring with Kaitlyn and Nattie just doesn't give me the same satisfaction as being in the ring in front of a crowd."

"There's nothing like that feeling of knowing you're desired, huh?"

She turned her head and looked up at him. "I highly doubt I'm desired, but I'll admit that there's nothing like hearing the fans cheer the moment your music starts to play."

She didn't think she was desired? How very wrong she was, but he'd let that subject go for now. He rubbed her shoulder. "Put that away and let's have some cake."

She pushed off him. "Yeah, okay. Sitting here feeling all depressed isn't doing me any good anyway."

"Right." He picked up the cake and scooped up a little with the fork. "You'll be back wrestling in no time, so let's just focus on the positives. Now—" He held up the fork. "Open up."

She shut off the video and set her phone aside and grinned up at him before opening her mouth. Roman's arousal soared as he slid the fork into her mouth and watched as she closed her lips around it. He damn near groaned as his erection pressed against his jeans.

Her eyes drifted shut, and he pulled the fork back. "Mmm. That's so good," she cooed. "More."

Happy to oblige, he scooped another bite up and fed it to her, only this time a tiny bit of icing landed on the edge of her mouth. His gaze zeroed in on the icing as the need to taste her, if only for a moment, slammed into him with the force of a Mack truck. He stuck the fork in the cake and set the plate aside, then turned back to her.

Using his finger, he gently wiped the icing from the edge of her mouth. Her attention drifted up to his face, and he swore he saw desire in her eyes. Without a word he brought his finger to his mouth and licked off the icing. She watched him, and her eyes flared with his motion, fueling his need. He slipped his hand around her head, holding her in place as he lowered his mouth to hers.

The first sweet taste of her lips shot directly to his groin. That now familiar spark of electricity brought on by her touch, zipped through him. Her fingers danced across his skin, then curled around his biceps as she angled her head to give him more. It wasn't enough. He swiped his tongue across her lips, beseeching. On a sigh, she granted him access. God, this woman was going to be the death of him.

"Hey, Lexi? You over here?" Punk's voice carried through the corridor, causing her to pull back. As if in a trance, she stared at Roman and lifted her fingers to her lips.

"Lexi?" Punk called again.

"I gotta go," she whispered to Roman, then slipped off the crate and rushed away. "Over here."

Punk turned the corner and smiled at her. "There you are. A bunch of us are taking Kaitlyn out for a rockin' birthday lunch. You want to come?"

She glanced over her shoulder at Roman, drawing Punk's attention in the process. Punk frowned, then turned his focus back to Lexi. "You coming or what?"

"Yeah," she replied as she looked at Roman with regret in her eye. "I'm coming."

Roman waited for her to disappear around the corner with Punk before he pushed off the crate and stood. "Fuck," he muttered. Every time he made progress with her, something—or more accurately, someone—seemed to get in the way. He raked a hand through is long hair as he glanced over at the empty space. This need had for her wasn't going away anytime soon, so he'd just have to keep trying to find ways to break down her invisible walls. Eventually, she'd either tire of him and tell him to get lost, or he'd reach his goal. He just needed to be patient.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Bottle of cold water in hand, Roman sauntered toward the staging area. With any luck he'd find Lexi there, probably slaving away over the last minute details that kept every show running smooth. In all the years he'd been in this business, he'd never seen anyone quite as passionate, thorough, and dedicated to their job as she. Did she even realize how special she was for having those qualities? She was so humble, so reserved when it came to receiving praise.

He smiled slightly at the idea of being on the receiving end of her love. At five foot five inches she was one of the shorter divas on the roster, but still managed to pack a huge punch. Just how much pent-up passion bubbled inside that tight little frame?

Knowing, at least some of the cause for Lexi's skittish nature, he'd decided to take it slow with winning her heart. From the amount of progress he'd made with her over the last month it appeared being patient seemed to be working. Right now he'd drop off the water bottle, check to see if she needed any help, then head off to meet Dean, Seth and reps from the creative team for their strategy session.

Lost in his thoughts, he turned the corner and spotted her struggling with two large boxes. It took only a moment before he broke into a run. "Lexi, wait." Just as she was about to lose her grip, he reached her. "Here, let me." He tossed the bottle into the empty chair then reached for the boxes. His fingers closed over hers and his body jolted at the shock.

For several long moments they remained connected, the boxes their only barrier. "Um...I have them," he said when he finally managed to find his voice. She released her grip and he immediately felt the loss of her touch.

"Thank you," she murmured. "You can just set them on the floor over by the wall. I'll get someone else to take them where they're supposed to go."

After placing the boxes where she instructed he turned to face her. Her face flushed with heat and she raked a shaky hand through her spiral locks. "Thank you again for helping."

"Anytime," offered as he shoved his hands into his pockets before he did something he'd later regret. "You should have called for help instead of trying to move those heavy boxes yourself."

"I shouldn't have needed to move them at all," she replied and he noted the irritation in her voice. "You know what's in those boxes?" She pointed to the stack.

"No."

"Programs. Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to place the delivery of tonight's programs smack in the middle of my work area."

Roman did his best to hide his grin. While he found her extremely cute when riled, he didn't think she'd appreciate his observation. The last thing he wanted was to end up on the receiving end of her ire.

"Of course, if my assistant was here like she should be, this wouldn't have happened." She shook her head. "God forbid Jackie actually does anything that's asked of her, or anything that remotely resembles real work. I don't even know where she is right now."

Roman angled his thumb toward the hall. "She's in catering."

"What?" Lexi's eyes widened and anger flared behind those beautiful green irises.

"I stopped by catering to pick up your water. She was in there talking with some of the wrestlers."

"Really?" In a matter of seconds Roman found himself rushing to catch up with her as she stormed past him toward the cafeteria.

Anger radiated off her and washed over him in waves. "What are you going to do?"

"What I want to do I can't, because I don't have the authority, so I'll just kick her lazy ass instead."

The last thing he'd wanted was for her to end up in trouble for placing her hands on a staff member. He rushed in front of her and stopped, blocking her path. Her gaze slowly lifted to his face and he swore she actually snarled at him. "Get out of my way, Roman."

"I think you need to take a minute to calm down."

"I don't want to calm down," she shot back. "I've spent the last month doing all the work and stressing myself out while she cozies up with the mid-carders and avoids doing her work as much as possible. Emma might have put up with her insubordination, but I won't. I don't have the time or the patience."

She started to push past him and he grabbed her by the arms. That now familiar zing of electricity shot through him, but he did his best to ignore it. This wasn't the time or place to be dealing with his attraction to her.

"Let go," she did snarl this time.

"I will, just as soon as you promise not to lay a hand on her."

"Sorry." She shook her head. "I can't do that."

"Then I'm not letting go."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you care if I hurt her? You got a thing for Jackie?"

Her verbal jab sent him reeling quicker than any dropkick and he tightened his grip on her. "No," he growled as his temper fought to break free. "If I haven't made it obvious enough over this last month, then let me make it unequivocal right now. I've got a thing for you and I don't want to see that gorgeous ass of yours fired for attacking a non-wrestler."

Right before him, he watched as the anger drain from her and she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry," she finally replied. "I'm just so fed up. Between working the on-camera storyline, running backstage and trying to keep up on my training, I'm exhausted. I didn't mean to be so nasty to you."

He grinned and slid an arm around her. "That's okay, but I'll only forgive you if you agree to take a break and have a cup of coffee with me."

Amusement tipped her lips. "That's blackmail."

He smirked. "Blackmail is such a harsh word. I prefer to think of it as an agreement."

"An agreement, huh?" Now she did give him a full on a smile and it warmed him all the way to his toes. "You think you're slick don't you?"

"I don't think. I know. Now how about that coffee?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A few minutes later they walked into catering and in an instant Lexi's anger returned as she spotted Jackie sitting on Heath Slater's lap. She took a step forward and Roman snagged her by the shoulder. "You promised not to touch her."

She looked up at him and cocked her head to the side. "Actually, I never promised."

God he loved her fire and passion, but he couldn't let her do this. "Lexi," he warned in his best Dom voice.

"Okay, fine. I won't lay a hand on her, but I am going to tear her a new ass. Any objections to a verbal assault?"

He released her and held his hands up in surrender. "Be my guest."

Just in case something went wrong, he followed close as she stalked toward Jackie. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" she grilled.

Jackie looked up at Lexi. "Oh hey, Lexi."

"Don't hey Lexi me. What in the hell are you doing in here?"

"She's taking a little break," Heath replied. "Chill out, will ya. It's no big deal."

"Stay out of this, Heath," Lexi warned. "It is a big deal and it's none of your business."

"Don't talk to him like that," Jackie defended. "And for your information I was taking a break."

Roman caught movement in his peripheral vision and glanced over to see Hunter had joined them. Though he doubted that Lexi noticed.

"A break!" Lexi echoed Jackie's answer. "You can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious." Jackie shot back. "Why? What's the probs?"

"The problem is that you have to actually do real work in order to earn a break," Lexi corrected. "All I've seen for the last month is you worm your way out of everything you're asked to do and spend all your time paying attention to the single wrestlers."

Apparently insulted, Jackie pushed off Heath's lap to face her. "Are you insinuating I'm easy?"

"I don't need to insinuate. I just wish you'd put half the effort into your job that you do trying to get into the wrestlers tights."

"You bitch!" The sound of flesh contacting flesh rent the air and caused the room to go silent as everybody stopped to watch the fallout. Lexi's head snapped back from the force of the blow and she immediately lifted a hand to cover her cheek. The stunned expression she wore lasted only a moment before fury replaced it and she lunged at Jackie.

Jackie let loose a high-pitched scream as Lexi grabbed her. Then chaos ensued and Roman jumped into the mix. Amid the commotion he fought to get a good grip on Lexi. Eventually, he managed to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her away from Jackie. "Lexi, knock it off."

"Let go," she squirmed against him. "I'm gonna knock some respect into that snotty little bitch."

"No you're not," Roman growled.

"Roman, get Lexi away from here." Hunter ordered. "Jackie, in my office, now!"

"That lazy little slut thinks she can do whatever she wants," Lexi yelled even as Roman dragged her into the hallway and directly across into an empty locker room. The entire time he fought to keep her from hurting him as she attempted to get away. His little spitfire was stronger than she looked. When the heavy door closed behind him on a thud, he loosened his grip and she pushed away.

Rage lit in her eyes as she turned to face him. "Let me out of here."

His only response was to fold his arms and widen his stance. No way would he allow her to do something that might get her fired.

She arched a challenging brow, then simply tried to push past him. He stepped into her path, blocking her escape. "Not until you calm down."

"Like hell," she snapped and shoved at him. To this point he'd found her temper and defiance cute and intriguing, but he was slowly losing his patience. The Dom in him demanded acquiescence and respect. Maybe it was time he taught her a little of both. In one smooth motion he turned toward her pinning her between him and the wall.

Shock registered in her eyes and she lifted her hands in defense. He snagged her by the wrists and pressed her arms above her head, holding her in place with ease.

In an instant the aura in the room changed as his body reacted to hers. He studied her expression, pleased to see the slight dilation in her eyes and the gentle parting of her lips as she complied. He doubted she even realized her response which made his discovery that much sweeter. Finding women to submit to him wasn't that difficult, but most of the time their submissions were acts or worse, forced for his benefit. A woman with a natural propensity to submit was much more difficult to find. Despite her strong persona and wrestling abilities, it was possible that deep down she was a natural submissive.

He could only begin to imagine the fun of working to release her inner sub. "Better," he whispered after she'd finally settled. He switched both her wrists to one hand and grazed a knuckle along the cheek Jackie struck and noted how the red angry skin had already begun to swell. She'd probably have a bruise there in the morning. He shifted his gaze back to meet her stare and noted how her breathing had shallowed and her speeding pulse had yet to slow. Until now, he'd been unsure if she'd felt their connection, but being this close, feeling her heartbeat, erased any remaining doubt.

He leaned in, pressing his body against hers and was overjoyed to feel her slight turn in to his touch. Whether she even realized it, she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. "Attacking her wouldn't have accomplished anything," he finally said.

"It would have made me feel better," she replied, her voice now softer in tone and laced with something akin to desire.

He did his best to hide the grin fighting to escape. "Only temporarily. In the end, the fallout would have been much worse." He lowered his head and grinned when she tipped her face up in response. "You feel it too, don't you?"

"Y-yes," she whispered.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she sighed, the regret in her voice caused him pause. "But I need you to stop."

Normally the word stop wouldn't hold any weight with him. That's what safe words were for. Since, he doubted she had a clue about the lifestyle he'd accept her plea to stop...this time. He pulled back and stared down at her. "Tell me why." At the very least he deserved to know her reasons for prolonging both their suffering.

Immediately she dropped her gaze and tried to turn away.

"Oh no, sweetheart." He curled a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "No hiding. Now tell me why."

"I-I need to know that this is more than just some insane attraction between us."

The pain and regret in her eyes clawed at his heart. Who had hurt her so badly that she'd chosen to close herself off and bury her passion? "You've been hurt before and you're wary."

She gave him a small nod and her eyes turned glassy. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry, sweetheart." He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over first one eye, then the other. As much as he wanted to take it deeper, to taste those luscious lips of hers, it wasn't what she needed now. A good Dom always put his subs needs ahead of his own. With regret, he pulled back. "I understand, but I promise that this is more than just some insane attraction, as you call it. I also know you need more than words for reassurance, so we'll take this nice and slow."

"Thank you," she cupped his cheek in her palm. "It means so much to me that you understand."

He took her hand in his, kissed her palm and stepped back. "You're welcome. Now let's get some ice for your cheek before it swells anymore."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Nearly a month after her fight with Jackie, Lexi enjoyed the feeling of finally being back inside the ring. Even if it was only a sparring exercise with Kaitlyn, she'd take whatever she'd get. "So how are things going with you and Roman?" Kaitlyn bounced off the rope, grabbed Lexi by the arm and flipped her.

Lexi hit the mat with a thud, and waiting a moment for the sting to pass before countering the move. "Slow and steady. He's determined to prove to me that this weird attraction we have is more than the sum of its parts." She release, Kaitlyn, took a step back and reset.

"And you don't believe him?" Kaitlyn moved in, pulled Lexi into a headlock.

Lexi countered and shoved Kaitlyn toward the ropes. "I don't know. He's trying really hard, but..." She pulled up, leaned forward and rested her hands on her thighs.

"You're afraid," Kaitlyn offered.

Lexi nodded. "I know it's stupid and completely unfair to him, but once bitten, twice shy, you know?"

Kaitlyn leaned back against the rope. "I know, but I'd hate for you to let a good one slip through your hands because of something that happened years ago."

Lexi smirked. "Well, if you take the opinions of those in the locker room, they'll tell you that maybe Roman isn't such a catch."

Kaitlyn frowned. "Why?"

"According to Roman, management instructed them to keep their distance from the rest of the roster in order to help boost this 'Shield' storyline." She air quoted the word. "You know, make everyone just a little more nervous than normal because the guys aren't hanging out like everyone else."

"That sounds like something creative would do."

Lexi nodded. "Yeah, well, so far Randy, Sheamus, Miz and Daniel have all voiced their concern about me getting mixed up with Roman. I want to tell them that it's all just an act, but so far you're the only one who knows." She pointed a finger at her friend. "So you can't tell anyone otherwise Hunter will have my head on a platter."

"So you're stuck in the middle? " Kaitlyn shook her head and grinned. "I'm sorry. I know it's not funny for you, but the absurdity of the situation is amusing."

"Tell me about it. I'm just waiting for somebody to call my father and tell him that I've completely lost my mind."

"Have you talked to your dad about Roman yet?"

Lexi shook her head "Not yet. I didn't figure there was any point in telling him about Roman until I was sure something truly existed between us."

"Considering what you're telling me it might be in your best interest to tell him before somebody else does."

"Yeah," Lexi considered her friend's warning. "You're probably right, but I don't want to concern him."

"Don't you think he'll be more concerned if he hears about Roman from somebody who doesn't have all the information?" Kaitlyn reached over the rope and grabbed the towel hanging on the ring post. "Your dad is bad ass, Lexi. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his ire."

"Lexi?" a male voice came from behind her. Lexi spun on her heel to find her closest friend in the world Chris Jericho standing just a few feet away. "Chris!" She slid beneath the ropes and bounded toward him, throwing herself into his arms.

Laughing he twirled her in a circle and planted a kiss on her forehead before setting her on her feet. "You look good, sprite."

"Thanks. You too. Now what are you doing here?" she asked. "You weren't due back until the royal rumble."

"I'm not back to wrestle, but Fozzy's tour is done and after I got calls from Randy, John and Daniel about you, I thought it might be best to check things out for myself."

"Calls? They called you about me?" Lexi glanced up at Kaitlyn who remained inside the ring. "See what I mean. I wonder who's managed to call my father?" She turned back to Chris. "So you're here because you're worried about me too?"

Chris rocked back on his heels. "Pretty much."

"We need to talk." She gave Kaitlyn a wave. "Chris and I are going to go have a little talk. I'll catch you later."

Kaitlyn laughed. "Good luck."

Ten minutes later she across from Chris sat at a corner table in catering and toyed with the lip of her coffee cup. "I wish people would learn to mind their own business."

"They're just worried about you. I don't know anything about this Roman character, except from what I see on the TV and from that perspective he looks like a psychotic monster. The guys tell me he and his buddies act the same way on and off camera. Which why they're worried about you."

"Roman is _not _a psychotic monster. If anything he is sweet and caring person with a quiet nature." She leaned forward across the table. "And did it ever occur to you or anyone else that maybe it's some sort of act?"

Chris mocked her action. "Did I ever occur to you that after what happened last time your friends are only trying to look out for you?"

She pulled back and sank into the chair. "I know what I'm doing, Chris."

"Do you, really, Lexi? If I remember correctly, you said those same words to me when I warned you about dating Edge."

"I was a lot younger and infatuated with him," she argued. "I fell hard and fast and I thought he felt the same way about me."

"And in the end, he ripped your heart out and damn near cost you your life," Chris added.

"Thank you for that wonderful reminder." She folded her arms across her chest. "By the way, you were the only one who warned me about Edge. Everyone else thought we made a great couple."

"Which is exactly why they're so concerned this time. They never imagined Edge could be such a scoundrel."

The last thing she wanted was to talk about her ex or what happened. "Look, this situation couldn't be more different. Roman continually tells me how much he likes me and wants to build something with me. Plus we're taking things nice and slow. He understands I've been hurt and he's proving himself to me."

"Well he needs to prove himself to your friends, because he's revealed very little to them, and they're all worried that you're headed for heartbreak."


	8. Chapter 8

Lexi pushed her hairdresser's hand away. "Enough already. I'm gonna be late."

Kristen frowned. "You know, I'll be glad when you're back wrestling full time. Then I can prep you properly instead of on the fly."

"You and me both," Lexi sighed. She hopped out of the chair, checked her reflection in the mirror, and arched a surprised brow at the cascading spirals of curls she'd created in less than thirty minutes. "Nice work, Kris. I barely recognize myself."

"Thank you. Now don't mess it up." She shook her comb at Lexi.

Lexi laughed. "You won't be able to say that when I start wrestling again."

"I won't put that much work into your hair when you start wrestling again," Kristen shot back.

Still wearing a smile, Lexi pushed on the door, glanced at her watch, and broke into a run. Two minutes until _High Heat_ made their appearance for the night. With any luck, this would be her last time appearing with the tag team. Once the storyline wrapped up, she could go back to being a Diva and her so-called apprentices would fade into their true positions of tag-team mid-carders.

She slid around the corner just as _High Heat's _music started.

"I was wondering if you were going to make it," Emma commented as Lexi rushed past to take her place in front of her tag team.

"This rushing around is for the birds," Lexi shot back.

Emma laughed and gave her cue. "You're cleared to head out."

Lexi stepped out from behind the wall onto the stage and the crowd cheered. The crowd's approval warmed her deep in her core. In some ways it was like an addition she needed to feed once in a while. She smiled and gave the crowd a quick wave as she led her team toward the ring. Once the guys were in the ring, Lexi crossed around and filled the empty seat at the announce table.

"Well, look who has graced us with her presence," Jerry Lawler announced.

"Welcome, Lexi," Michael Seth said. "It's good to see you again."

Lexi slid the headset on and adjusted the microphone. "Thank you, Michael. It's good to see you and Jerry again."

"Your pupils are looking good out there," Jerry offered as the match began.

"Thank you, Jerry. They've been trained by some of the best and guided through these early days in their career by me. I really think they've finally come into their own. Don't you?"

"Yes,' Michael Seth answered. "You've done a great job with them."

"Thank you, Michael." Lexi watched from the announce table as the tag team she 'managed' worked flawlessly against team Hell No.

"So Lexi," Jerry Lawler began "How's the knee healing?"

For a split second, confusion reigned before she remembered that creative had written her out with a knee injury so she could take over the backstage coordinator's position. Early into the storyline of her managing Eddie and Mason she'd even appeared on crutches with her knee wrapped to solidify the story. "It's healing nicely," she finally managed to reply.

"I'm sure you're itching to get back into the ring," Michael Seth added.

Lexi nodded. "You have no idea. I'm just waiting on clearance from the staff doctor and I'll be good to go." She glanced up to see Mason from her team take a suplex from Kane and cringed. The tide had suddenly turned in this match and her guys were getting squashed.

"So are you going to continue managing team High Heat after your return to your own wrestling career," Jerry asked.

"Well, the Hart Family philosophy for managing new teams is to give them what they need then cut them loose. As you can see my guys can hold their own against anyone in the WWE so as far as I'm concerned, I've done my job. It's time for them to stand on their own."

_Sierra...Hotel...India...Echo...Lima...Delta...Shield! _Music filled the area and Lexi's heart skipped a beat. What was _The Shield _doing invading her team's match? When they went over the script for the show earlier in the day, no one mentioned anything about _The Shield_ interfering with _High Heat_.

"Oh man, this isn't going to be good. Lexi you'd better get your guys out of there," Jerry warned.

Lexi slid the headset off, dropped it on the announce table, and rushed toward the ring. She tapped Eddie on the leg. "Get down. It's time to go."

Eddie looked down at her, confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean go? We're in the middle of a match."

"Not anymore. The Shield is about to dismantle Team Hell No."

Eddie glanced behind her, frowned. "What are they doing here?"

"I don't know, but now is not the time to argue," Lexi replied. "Get Mason's attention. You guys need to get out of that ring before something bad happens to you." Movement in the corner of her eye had her turning in time to see Dean and Seth hop the barrier. She shifted her gaze and spotted Roman clear the other barrier. His heated gaze landed on her, held there for just a moment before he returned his focus to the ring.

Eddie dropped to the floor and yelled at Mason who quickly slid from the ring. He turned to face Lexi. "We're not just going to leave them to these jackals."

Lexi snagged him by the arm and turned him toward the ramp. "That's exactly what we're going to do."

"Are you crazy?"

She got the distinct impression that these two youngsters thought what was happening in the ring was real. "It's not our fight," she countered. "I'll explain when we get backstage."

"But it's three on two," Mason replied.

"I know that, but you can't get involved." Man she hated working with amateurs.

"Like hell I can't," Mason shot back then returned to the ring where Dean, Seth, and Roman had already attacked Daniel and Kane.

"Mason!" Lexi returned ringside hoping to get her charge out of the melee, only to watch Eddie follow his partner back into the ring.

"Eddie, Mason, get out of there," she yelled and smacked the mat. What she wanted to do was climb into the ring and teach both her so-called prodigies a little lesson, but she knew better. The script was already jeopardized by Mason and Eddie's involvement. She'd only make the situation worse.

Dean grabbed Eddie and tossed him over the top rope with ease. Lexi pounced on the opportunity to snare one of her wrestlers and rounded the ring to where he was pulling himself off the mat. "No more," Lexi ordered as her temper began to rise. "Don't you dare step back into that fight."

Eddie shook his head, as if he were shaking away cobwebs. "Mason's going to get annihilated if I don't."

"That's his problem for defying orders," Lexi argued. "Stay out of it."

Unfortunately, as was with most of _The Shield _attacks it spilled onto the floor. Lexi side-stepped Kane, and turned away from where he and Seth began trading blows. If she could get Eddie to bail out of the fight and head to the back his career might be saved. Management would no doubt fire Mason for interfering with a storyline. She took a single step toward Eddie, when someone hit her from behind. The impact threw her forward. She struggled to bring her hands up to catch herself, but wasn't quite quick enough. Pain exploded inside her head as her skull impacted with the ring post, then the world went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A gasp tore through the crowd followed by a man's voice yelling. "Lexi!"

Roman picked Daniel up and threw him over the barrier into the crowd, then turned back to find out what happened. His heart nearly stopped at what he saw. Oh God! Lexi lay crumpled on the floor near the opposite side of the ring, her face to the mat and not moving.

He raced to her, grabbed Eddie by the hair and shoved him out of the way. "Move!" he growled. Then he knelt down on one knee and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lexi?" She didn't move. "Lexi?" He gave her a gentle shake, yet she didn't stir. Carefully, he rolled her over. "Oh God. Somebody get help," he yelled over his shoulder at anyone who might be listening.

Blood oozed from an open wound on her temple and covered the side of her face. The area around the wound had already begun to swell. The sight of her bloody and wounded was scary enough, but her unconscious state terrified him.

Dean and Seth crowded around him. "That looks bad," Dean mumbled.

"No shit. Get the doc," Roman snapped.

"Seth already gave the signal for the trainers."

Roman glanced over his shoulder toward the ramp, hoping to see the cavalry rushing out. Instead, the space remained empty. "This is taking too long." He slid an arm beneath Lexi's neck and legs and lifted her against him. "Screw the trainers. We're not waiting for help."

With Dean in front of him, clearing the way and Seth behind him, he carried Lexi alongside of the ramp, around the side of the structure into the back and up the access tunnel. Half way up the tunnel Doctor Amman and the Paramedics met him.

"Put her on the stretcher," Doctor Amman ordered.

Roman eased her onto the stretcher and stepped back to watch. Doctor Amman immediately began assessing her. "Was she ever conscious at ringside after she hit the post?"

"I don't think so." Roman swallowed hard. "I tried to get her to open her eyes, but she didn't move."

One of the medics eased a cervical collar around her neck then placed an oxygen mask over her face. Roman watched as a feeling of helplessness washed through him. He was supposed to protect her and he'd failed. "Doc, is...she?" A warm hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed and he glanced over to see Dean next to him.

"She definitely has a concussion," Doctor Amman replied. "How bad it is I can't tell yet. I also don't know what other injuries might be beneath the surface." His attention turned to the paramedics. "Start an IV with normal saline, wrap that wound to staunch the bleeding then get her to the hospital, stat."

The medics nodded and began opening bags.

The idea of being separated from her made Roman's heart ache. It was bad enough he couldn't do anything to help, but to be forced to stay behind was too much. "Doc." Roman reached for Doctor Amman. "I'm going with her."

The doctor looked up and gave Roman a nod. "Fine, but you ride in the front of the ambulance." He turned his gaze to Seth and Dean. "You two can follow in another vehicle if you want. Before you do, find Hunter and tell him what's happened and where we're going."

"Got it," Dean replied. He gave Roman's shoulder one last squeeze then darted up the ramp with Seth in tow.

It wasn't long before Roman found himself alone, sitting in the ER waiting room, his mind racing. He desperately wanted to be with her, to know she would be okay, but the pretty little nurse who'd blocked his access into the ER explained that he'd only be in the way. The last thing he wanted to do was hamper the doctors from helping Lexi.

The sliding doors opened and Roman had never been happier in his life to see his friends. Dean and Seth stalked toward him with purpose, and Hunter was close on their heels. "Any word yet?"

Roman shook his head. "They're still running tests." He looked up at Dean and Seth. "What the hell happened anyway?"

Seth closed his eyes and shook his head. "It was my fault, Roman. I leapt at Kane from the steps, not realizing Lexi was standing directly behind him. He fell backward into her and I think the motion threw her into the ring post face first." He swallowed audibly. "God, I'm so sorry. I feel terrible."

Knowing what happened was an accident did little to settle his nerves and Roman could only nod at his friend in response.

Hunter patted Seth on the back. "We all understand it was an accident, Seth. I'm sure the doctors are just being cautious and it's not as bad as it looks, right Roman."

"Right," Roman managed to choke out, but at that moment he struggled for control. Hunter hadn't seen the gaping wound on her forehead or been the one to carry her limp body out of the ring area and up that ramp. At that moment nothing was right in his world.

"Well," Hunter sighed. "Regardless, I called Bret to let him know what happened. He's grabbing the next flight he can get." He glanced at his watch. "With it being as late as it is, I doubt he'll be here until sometime tomorrow." The muffled sound of Hunter's theme song drifted through the air and caused Hunter to pause. He reached into his pocket, retrieved his phone and glanced at the display. "It's Vince. Excuse me gentlemen. I need to take this."

Seth slid into the empty seat next to Roman. "I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"Don't worry about it," Roman replied. "It was just an unfortunate accident." An accident that had happened two and a half hours ago and he still knew nothing about her condition. He smacked the chair arm with his hand. "Damn it!" He pushed up and began to pace. "This waiting is driving me insane. Why won't they tell us anything?"

Just then the ER access doors opened and a dark haired doctor in a white coat entered. "Who is here for Lexi Hart?"

Roman spun on his heel and stalked toward the doctor. "I am." He glanced over his shoulder at Dean. "Go tell Hunter the doctor is here." Then he returned his attention to the doctor.

"I'm Doctor Stanton. Are you Mr. Reigns?" the doctor asked.

"Yes. How's Lexi?"

"Well she has what we would classify as a Grade three concussion, with initial loss of consciousness, then confusion, memory loss, nausea, headache and some dizziness. Her CT scan revealed a hairline fracture to the frontal bone. It's minor and will heal without problems."

"Is she awake?" Roman asked.

Doctor Stanton nodded. "She has regained consciousness and is slowly becoming more lucid. It will take some time, but I expect she'll make a complete recovery."

"When can she go home?" Hunter asked as he walked up.

"Normally with this kind of head injury, we'll want to keep her for at least twenty-four hours to watch for any complications."

"Complications?" Roman's eyes widened at the realization that maybe she wasn't quite out of the woods just yet. "What kind of complications?"

"Subdural Hematoma is our biggest concern," the doctor replied.

"You mean a brain bleed?" Hunter asked.

Doctor Stanton nodded. "She's not exhibiting any symptoms and nothing showed up on any of her tests, but many times with this type of injury it can start slow and build over a twenty four hour period. If not treated right away, it could cause permanent brain damage or even death."

Fear slithered up Roman's spine as the doctor's words took root. "But you said she's okay right now?"

"Yes," Doctor Stanton replied. "Keeping her is more precautionary than anything. I expect that she'll be able to go home the day after tomorrow."

"Have you moved her yet?" Hunter asked. "Because we want to make sure she gets a private room, and we'll want to arrange for a guard."

The Doctor frown. "Why a guard?"

"She's a wrestling star for the WWE," Hunter explained. "We don't want just anyone being able to gain access to her."

Doctor Stanton nodded. "I see. Well we haven't moved her yet. We called in a plastic surgeon to deal with her facial wound. Once he's finished stitching it closed, then we'll move her into a private room for further monitoring. You can talk to our head of security about a guard."

"I want to see her," Roman demanded. No matter what the doctor said, he needed to see her, touch her and know for himself that she was, in fact, all right.

Doctor Stanton glanced at his watch and grimaced. "It's really late. It would be better if you came back in the morning."

He'd waited and worried over her for too long to take no for an answer. Roman took a step toward the doctor only to have Hunter block his path. "Um...doc. Can I talk to you privately for a moment?"


	10. Chapter 10

_What was that beeping sound?_ Lexi struggled to open one eye only to find the darkened room blurry. She groaned at the throbbing sensation and lifted a hand to cradle her head.

"Oh no, sweetheart." Strong fingers wrapped around her wrist. "Put your hand down, before you pull out your IV."

She turned her head slightly and managed to open her other eye only slightly, her vision nearly completely impaired on her left side. "Roman?" she rasped, hoping she hadn't imagined his voice.

"Yeah, baby. I'm here."

"W-what time is it?"

"About two in the morning."

Though his account of the time did shock her, she couldn't seem to muster the energy to actually act surprised. "It's after visiting hours. How are you still here?"

He leaned over the bed into her line of sight and grinned. "It's amazing how willing the hospital administrator was to bend the rules after Mr. McMahon pledged to donate money to the facility."

His statement pulled a small smile from her. Leave it to Vince to throw money at any problem. Though she had to admit, this time she was happy he had. "You must be tired."

"I'm fine," Roman replied. "The nice nurses hooked me up with a surprisingly comfortable recliner to sleep in and a blanket."

"Nice nurses?" Lexi echoed. "They probably have the hots for your sexy body and couldn't resist the idea of having you here all night."

He rewarded her witty reply with a low deep laugh that warmed her through to her soul. She couldn't even begin to express her thankfulness at his being there for her. "I'm sure the only one around here that thinks I have a sexy body is you."

"Doubtful," Lexi argued. "Especially since I'm guessing you're probably still in your ring gear."

"Well even if they do think that," he whispered as he leaned down. "This sexy body belongs to only one woman."

She grinned at his subtle pledge to her. Maybe, just maybe when she was better, she'd take him up on that pledge. "Not that I could do anything with it in my current condition."

"No, but when you're ready, it will be waiting." He pressed a soft kiss to the uninjured side of her forehead. "Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

She gave him a small nod and closed her eyes. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, knowing he was there made her feel safe and protected. Within seconds she began to drift, her thoughts consumed only with Roman.

The next morning she sat propped up in bed, trying to choke down the nearly inedible breakfast in front of her. Seth sat in the chair Roman occupied overnight and watched. The only way she'd been able to get Roman to leave the hospital was if she allowed someone else to stay with her. Unfortunately for Seth, he'd been brave enough to volunteer and was now enduring her wrath. "Oh, it can't be that bad."

She scooped up a fork full of scrambled eggs and pointed it at him. "You want to try them?"

He smiled and held up a hand. "Thank you, but I think the nurses might be unhappy about me eating your food."

"_I_ don't even want to eat my food." Disgusted, she dropped the fork on the tray. "The least they could have done was brought me some decent coffee. I'm going through withdraw."

"The doctor said no caffeine," Seth scolded. "At least not until your concussion is better."

She folded her arms. "Well, no caffeine is only going to make me crankier than I already am."

"As if that's even possible," a voice said from the doorway.

She looked over and immediately broke into a smile. "Dad!"

Bret walked into the room and paused at the foot of her bed. "Well don't you look like hell."

Her smile slid into a frown. "Gee, that's just what every woman wants to hear."

His lips turn up into a grin as he moved forward, leaned down and gave her a hug. "You scared the hell out of me, Alexandra."

"It's not as if I did it on purpose you know."

"I know." He pulled back and studied her face. "Have you seen yourself yet?"

She gave a slight shake of her head. "No why? Is it really that bad?"

"Do yourself a favor and wait a few days before you look in a mirror. Are you in much pain?"

"Some," she shrugged. "It's actually a lot better now than it was last night."

His attention drifted to the seat Seth occupied. "You were in the match last night when Alexandra got hurt."

Seth popped up from the chair and wiped his hands on his pants. "Um...yes, Sir. I'm sorry to say it's my fault she's hurt."

"Oh it is not," Lexi argued. "It was an accident and nothing more."

"Even so," Bret began. "I like a man who is willing to take responsibility for his actions." He extended a hand across the bed. "If you haven't already figured it out, I'm Alexandra's dad."

"Yes, Mr. Hart." Seth shook his hand. "It's such an honor to meet you."

Lexi watched as her father's grin spread. "Thank you. I have to say I've enjoyed watching you and your teammates build your storyline."

"T-thank you, Sir." Seth's eyes widened in shock. "You still watch WWE?" Immediately he shook his head and smacked his temple. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid question. Of course, you still watch."

Bret gave him a full on grin. "I watch every week to see what my little girl here is going to do next." He glanced down at Lexi. "What I want to know is where is the man who picked you up and carried you from the ring last night?"

Lexi's heart sped up at the mention of Roman. "You mean Roman?"

"He's the one with long dark hair?" Bret asked.

Lexi nodded. "That's him. He went back to the hotel to shower and change. He was here all night with me."

Bret arched a curious brow. "Really? Is he the same one Hunter's been telling me about?"

Lexi jolted at her father's question. Deep down she suspected someone had probably been telling her dad what was going on. She just hadn't expected it to be Hunter. "Just what has Hunter been saying?"

He grabbed Lexi's hand and squeezed. "Relax, Alexandra. I call him from time to time to get the real scoop on how you're doing. Since all I ever get from you is what you think I want to hear." He paused and she flushed at being called out on her tendency to hold back information.

"I just don't want to bother you with mundane details," she replied.

"Right," he shot back. "So anyway, the last time we talked he said you'd taken a romantic interest in a new wrestler." He leveled one of his famous _Remember I'm your father_ looks on her. "After what happened with Edge I'll admit I was a bit concerned, but Hunter assures me that this Roman you speak of is just as infatuated with you as you are with him."

"Are you mad at me for not telling you?"

Bret shook his head. "I'm not mad. Disappointed, yes, but not mad."

"I didn't want you to worry is all," she tried to explain. God she hated it whenever she disappointed her dad. After her car accident, he'd worried and fretted over her. She didn't want him to worry anymore. "Roman and I are still in that getting to know you stage. We haven't even really kissed yet, so it wasn't like there was much to tell."

Bret chuckled. "Not much to tell, huh? The boy risked his career by breaking character on camera to pick you up from ringside and carry you to help. Then he stays by your side all night and I assumed refused to leave unless someone stayed with you." He glanced at Seth. "That is why you're here, right?"

Seth nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"I thought so." Bret stroked a hand along her hair. "Baby, I hate to be the one to break the bad news to you, but I'm pretty sure this relationship you two have is far past the _not much to tell_ stage."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Roman hurried down the hallway toward Lexi's room. He'd been gone longer than he liked, but after spending the last half hour talking with Hunter, he knew the time had been well spent. He rounded the corner and slid to a stop at the sight before him.

There, inside Lexi's room stood the great Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. Only what he saw instead of the iconic wrestler was a loving father tending to his child. "Um..." he slowly stepped into the room. "I don't mean to interrupt."

"Roman!" Lexi grinned and despite the swollen, ugly wound encompassing the left side of her face she appeared to light up at the sight of him. Could she possibly know how happy she made him with her reaction?

The Hitman turned to face him and Roman straightened his shoulders. "Mr. Hart, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Bret extended a hand to shake. "Mr. Hart was my father. You call me Bret."

"I-I couldn't, Sir."

"You can if you want to continue seeing my daughter," he challenged.

Roman cut his attention from Bret to Lexi who only grinned at him in return. "I think you might want to refrain from referring to him as Mr. Hart."

He smiled as he shook Bret's hand. "Okay, Bret. I'm honored to meet you."

"As I am to meet you," Bret replied.

Roman pulled back. "Me? What did I do?"

"Besides taking care of my daughter?" Bret replied. "It appears you've managed to capture her heart."

Before Roman could reply, Hunter walked in behind him. "Ah, Good just about everyone is here. I need to talk to you all about a new storyline."

Ten minutes later Roman sat in a chair next to Lexi's bed listening as Bret and Hunter argued.

"You guys allow my daughter to get severely hurt and now you want to capitalize on her injury by writing it into another storyline?" Bret shook his head. "No. Absolutely not. I'm going to take her back to Calgary with me so she can rest and recover properly."

"I understand where you're coming from, Bret, but we have to explain why Roman tended to Lexi like it did. Especially considering that the members of the shield are supposed to be bad asses."

"I don't give a shit about your damn storylines," Bret argued. "You're not going to use Lexi like that?"

Hunter sighed. "Don't make me go all managerial here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means she's still under contract, so we can use her in whatever manner we see fit."

"Not while she's injured," Bret shot back.

"Hey!" Lexi shouted, causing Roman to hop up from his chair and reach for her hand. Instead, she pulled her hand away, but her attention remained on Bret and Hunter. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here. I am a grown woman and can make my own decisions."

"You're injured," Bret countered.

She grabbed her dad's hand. "I know you're just trying to protect me, but I'm not a little girl anymore, dad."

Bret looked from her to Hunter and back. "You're not going to jeopardize your health for them to cover some stupid storyline."

"She wouldn't have to," Roman added. He stepped forward and motioned to Bret. "Just hear me out for a minute before you say no."

Bret nodded. "Okay, I'm listening."

"If we're going to play the whole The Shield kidnapped her angle that Jerry and Michael laid out on Monday night, then let's do it right. She can stay at the hotel in bed, watching television and receiving room service while she recovers. Seth, Dean and I will take care of her and when we can't we'll make sure to have someone there with her."

Hunter nodded. "Keep talking."

"Okay, so the only time she'd have to do anything would be when we actually travel. Even then we wheel her around, make sure she doesn't lift a finger and essentially wait on her hand and foot until she's better." He pointed to Hunter. "You could set it up for us to pre-taped promos for us to cut for the storyline and Lexi's absence from the arena would help to solidify that storyline."

"I like it," Hunter nodded.

Roman looked to Bret. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think, I'd rather have my baby girl home with me," Bret replied.

"Oh come on, Dad," Lexi said. "We both know that after a few days you'd end up dumping me at mom's house under the pretense that she'd do a better job of taking care of me. I like Roman's idea and I think it would work better."

"Well," Bret sighed as he looked between them. "If it's what you really want and the doctor doesn't object then I guess I'll go along with it." He leveled a finger at Roman. "I'm relying on you to take good care of my little girl and keep me updated on her progress."

"Yes, Sir," Roman grinned.

"Okay then." Hunter clapped his hands together. "I have arrangements to make and work to do, so I'm gonna head out."

Bret pressed a kiss to the back of Lexi's hand. "I promised your aunts and uncles, your mom and your sister that I'd call when I knew something. Best not to keep them waiting any longer. I'm gonna go grab a cup of coffee and make the calls. I'll be back later."

She reached up and pulled him down into a hug. "Thanks for being so understanding, Dad. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie." He pressed a soft kiss to her nose. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Bring me a coffee?" she asked, the tone in her voice hopeful.

"Sure thing." He grinned. "Once small decaf coming up."

In an instant she went from hopeful to crestfallen. "Gee thanks for nothing."

Bret laughed as he turned and walked out of the room.

Roman glanced at Seth who took the cue for him to also exit. "Well, um...I should go find Dean and fill him in on all this."

Once Seth was gone, Roman eased a hip down on the edge of the bed. "Are you really okay with us taking care of you?"

She gave him a soft smile as she leaned back against the pillow. "More okay with that option than I was with going back to Calgary."

"You're not just saying that?"

She smirked. "I love my father dearly, but he's not the easiest person to live with."

"Oh I don't know," Roman offered. "He seems pretty cool."

"Try living with him," Lexi shot back. "He's been divorced twice. What does that tell you?"

"That maybe I don't know him as well as you do," Roman quipped.

She nearly giggled. "You got that right. He has the absolute best of intentions, but after a few days he'd realize that he was in over his head and he'd end up dumping me on mom." A visible shudder rippled through her. "Again, I love my mother, but if I have to spend more than a few hours with her at a time I'd want to kill someone."

"That bad?"

"Worse." Lexi cringed. "She's always been overprotective, to the point of smothering. I ended up at her house after the car accident. By the time it was over, I needed to recover from my recovery. No way am I doing that again." She shook her head. "I think staying with you guys is definitely the best option. At least I know you guys won't get all protective and bossy on me."

Oh, she had absolutely no idea what she'd signed on for. Roman leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "Wanna bet?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

With the cameras rolling, Lexi played up her injury, allowing Roman to lift her from the wheelchair and place her into the back seat of the big SUV. Inside, Seth grabbed her with gentle hands and pulled her across the seat to the center. Roman slid in next to her and Dean hopped in the front seat, slammed the door and the SUV pulled away.

She glanced over her shoulder and watched the hospital fade into the distance, then turned back and smiled up at Roman. He returned her grin, wrapped an arm around her, and gently pulled her against him. Content, she rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Lexi? Sweetheart wake up." The deep rumble of Roman's voice pierced her sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes to find him watching her. His lips turned up into a grin. "Hey, sleepyhead. We're here."

She took a deep breath, gave him a nod and pushed off the leather seat toward him. He eased her down into a wheelchair and she immediately frowned. "I can walk, you know."

"No, you can't," he replied as he towered over her. "Walking exerts energy that you're dearly lacking right now."

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. If he was going to act like this, then maybe staying with him wasn't such a good idea after all.

With Seth pushing her chair, they rolled her into the lobby and she noted the absence of people she knew. Usually, in any hotel they stayed, the lobby, sitting areas, pool and dining areas were filled with WWE superstars and staff. She didn't recognize one person. Confused, she looked up at Roman. "Where is everyone?"

Roman pursed his lips, the concern in his eyes evident as he looked down at her. "Hunter made sure to book us into a different hotel."

"What? Why?" She looked from Roman to Dean. Their silence spoke louder than any words. "Oh God, he's making this into some big secret, isn't he?"

Dean gave a slow nod. "He figured that since everyone is already nervous around us; why not hype the tension by faking the kidnapping for everyone and not just the fans?"

"But that makes this personal, especially for Randy, John and Chris. They've worked with me for years. Randy and I practically grew up together. Chris is my best friend. They're not going to react well to this situation."

"Which is exactly what Hunter and creative wants," Seth added as they entered the elevator.

She shook her head as anger began to build. "This is a stupid idea. Hunter knows that when storylines turn personal people tend to get hurt. He's risking careers by doing this. Does Vince know about this decision? Did he approve it?"

"Yes," Dean replied, his tone dour. "He thinks it's a great idea."

"Since we're new to the scene, we're just going along for the ride," Seth added.

"Well I'm not. I want to talk to them," she demanded. Over the years, creative had made a lot of stupid decisions and Vince had taken a lot of dumb risks for the sake of the company. She shouldn't have been surprised by this move, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to fight it.

"Well, you can argue with them all you want," Seth replied. "It doesn't change the fact that I really do feel bad about what happened and this will give me a chance to make it up to you."

Lexi reached a hand over her shoulder and patted Seth on the arm. "It was an accident and I forgive you. Now you need to forgive yourself."

The elevator doors opened and he wheeled her out into the hallway. They walked a few feet before Roman stopped and slid the keycard in the door. The light turned green, Roman opened the door and Seth rolled her inside.

Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the room. "Hey! How in the hell do you guys score a suite when the rest of us are doubling up in rooms?"

Dean crouched in front of her. "Honey, we have the suite because of you. Hunter said Mr. McMahon approved the suite so we wouldn't be on top of each other while we're taking care of you."

"It will also provide you with some privacy," Seth added.

She pushed up from the chair only to have Roman move in front of her. "Easy now."

"I will," she replied. "I've never been in a suite before and I'd like to look around." She began to scan the room as she took one slow step after another. Immediately to the right of the door was a small kitchenette complete with mini-fridge, microwave, toaster and a coffee pot. She eyed the basket of complimentary coffee. Maybe she could sneak a cup when they were gone.

Tucking that thought away for later, she turned her attention to the living room. Beyond a small table, rested a full size couch and loveseat position in an L-shaped pattern that defined the living area. A flat-screen television hung on the far wall. "Nice," she murmured then walked to the door on the left.

"That's Seth and my room," Dean offered.

Lexi glanced at them, then opened the door to take a peek inside. Two queen size beds rested against one wall with a nightstand in between them. An entertainment center, dresser combination rested against the opposite wall and the open door on an interior wall revealed a bathroom. "Spacious." She closed the door and turned back to them. "I guess that other door leads to another bedroom?" She crossed in front of them, opened the door, stepped inside and froze.

Roman sidled up behind her. "Problem?"

She glanced over her shoulder at Roman, then looked back at the single king size bed. "There's only one bed."

His warm hands rested on her shoulders and he squeezed. "I know, what you're thinking, but don't worry. The bed is all yours."

She cut her attention from the bed back to him. "Where are you going to sleep?"

He gave her a small smile. "The couch in the living area folds out into an extra bed."

For a moment she simply stared at him. The man never ceased to amaze her. She looked back at the bed as she turned over the last three months in her mind. He'd never once tried to take advantage of her or push her into something she wasn't ready for. He'd stayed by her side, continually thought of her on even the smallest level. He'd risked his career for her and now he was sacrificing his own comfort for her.

He wasn't Edge. It was time she stopped using her ex as an excuse to keep Roman at arm's length. It was time for her to take a leap of faith. With her heart pounding, she turned to face him. "You don't have to sleep on the couch, Roman."

"It's okay, I don't mind."

She lifted a shaky hand to caress his cheek. "I mind." She leaned toward him and lifted up on her toes. "I don't want you sleeping on the couch." Before he could respond, she pressed her lips to his. For a split second his body tensed, then immediately relaxed beneath her touch. His arms slid up her back and he pulled her against him as he deepened the kiss.

His body moved and she heard the door shut with a thud, followed by the Dean and Seth's muffled chuckles.

He pulled back slightly, his breathing ragged. "You should know, if we do this, I won't be able to stop with just sharing a bed."

She studied his face, nothing the passion and love in his gaze. "Then _you _should know I wouldn't want it any other way."

A low growl tore from his chest as he dipped his head and captured her lips a second time. Passion poured from him, filling her empty heart until it overflowed. Excitement, desire, love, everything she'd ever longed for from a relationship she found in that moment with him. How could she have possibly waited so long to reach this point?"

Slowly he pulled back and gently caressed her cheek. "Right now I can barely think beyond wanting to strip you naked, lay you down on that bed and make sweet love to you."

"So what's stopping you?"

He appeared to study her for a moment before she heard the regret in his sigh. "Less than forty-eight hours ago you suffered a fractured skull and a grade three concussion. That's what stopping me."


	13. Chapter 13

Lexi watched with interest as Roman stripped down to his boxers, threw back the covers and crawled into bed. The man had the body of an Adonis and that Samoan tattoo on the shoulder was sexy as hell. How in the world had she been the one to catch his eye?

He took a moment to settle then she rolled toward him, rested her head against his shoulder and placed a hand on his chest. "This is nice."

He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. "It is."

"I'm still mad at Hunter for how he's handling the storyline, but I guess I have to give him some credit. If it wasn't for this stupid storyline I wouldn't be laying in this big bed with you right now."

"I would have eventually gotten you here," Roman quipped.

"I would like to think so," she considered. "But after what happened before I've done a really good job of locking my heart way. I know this sounds ridiculous, but if Seth hadn't kicked Kane the other night, I'm not sure I would have found the courage to try again."

He rolled onto his side to face her. "What happened, Lexi?"

The bluntness of his question gave her a jolt. She knew what he was asking, but did she really want to re-live that trauma yet again? "It doesn't really matter," she replied, hoping he'd let the subject drop.

A frown claimed his face and for the first time she felt the urge to shrink from him. "Lexi," He propped up on one elbow. "If we're going to have a shot at a real relationship, then you need to tell me what happened."

"Why?" She rolled away from him to face the window. "It's over and done. At this point what will it accomplish except to hurt me again?"

"My goal isn't to hurt you, sweetheart." He stroked a hand along her shoulder. "But I need to know what happened."

"Why? It had nothing to do with you?"

"Oh but that's where you're wrong. You see the moment I realized that you were my soul mate it suddenly had everything to do with me." With a gentle hand he pressed her down so she lay on her back facing the ceiling. "I can't help you to heal your wounds if I don't know what they are."

In an instant, tears welled in her eyes. For so long she'd carried the weight of what happened squarely on her shoulders. "Okay, I tell you." She sucked in a ragged breath. "Five years ago I'd thought Edge was my Mr. Right. Everybody said we made such a cute couple."

"Edge? I always thought he and Lita was a couple."

She swiped a knuckle at the corner of her eye. "Most people did. That was the storyline. On camera she was his girlfriend. Off camera I was. Or so I thought."

"What happened?"

"Nothing at first. At least nothing I knew about anyway. Turns out he was cheating on me with Lita." She sniffled. "I had no idea until two years ago when I discovered I was pregnant. I was so happy." She let out a long suffering sigh. "I had this grand plan to tell him at the Christmas party. Only when I went to look for him to share the good news, I found him screwing Lita in a storage room."

Tears trickled down her face and disappeared into her hair. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I swear to you that I'm not crying because I still have feelings for the bastard."

"I know, baby." Roman whispered as he stroked a knuckle along her cheek. "You're crying because he hurt you. "

She nodded and sucked in a breath. "The worst part is that he laughed when he saw me. Then she laughed. I was so crushed, that I bolted from the party."

"And that's when the accident happened?"

"Yeah," she reached for a tissue from the box on the nightstand. "I had no business driving. They had me so upset that I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. The road was icy and I took a curve too fast. When I came to in the hospital, I was in the intensive care unit and the baby was gone." She barely managed to finish her sentence before she broke down and sobbed.

Roman wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He didn't say a word and simply held her as she cried. After a few minutes her tears subsided and her ragged breathing began to level. She covered his hand with hers. "Thank you for understanding."

"You're welcome. I'm sorry he did that do you. Nobody deserves to be cheated on. I'm also sorry you had to relive it right now, but I have a feeling you haven't really faced it until now, have you?"

She shook her head. "It was easier to bury the pain than deal with it."

"Well, now you don't have to deal with it alone, anymore."

She turned in his arms and placed a hand on his chest. The steady beat of his heart beneath her palm gave her the strength she needed to finish her tale. "There is one more thing."

He stroked a hand through her hair. "Tell me."

"I didn't just lose the baby. I hemorrhaged. The surgeons managed to save my uterus, but it's severely scarred." She paused as she struggled not to cry again. "I can't get pregnant."

The hand he'd been stroking through her hair froze and fear slithered up her spine as she waited for his response. What if he wanted children? Would her being infertile be a deal breaker? Being rejected now would destroy her.

For several long, torturous seconds she waited for his response, all the while he appeared to study her without saying a word. Finally he broke the silence. "If we ever decide to have children we can adopt and if you have your heart set on an infant we could always look for a surrogate."

In an instant, it felt as if the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders and she nodded as the tears returned a second time.

"Oh no," he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, then one eye and the other before dipping lower to brush a gentle kiss over her lips. "No more tears, sweetheart."

She gave him a watery smile. "You are absolutely amazing and I totally don't deserve you."

"Actually I could say that about you, but the fact is we're stuck with each other. How do you feel about that?"

"I'd feel much better better if my head didn't hurt," she sighed.

He pulled her close and tucked her against him. "These past forty-eight hours have been stressful on you. How about we get some sleep and we'll start fresh tomorrow?"

The feel of his strong arms wrapped around her, protecting her, helped Lexi chase away her demons. She snuggled as close as she could get to him. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Freshly showered and eager to get back to the hotel to check on Lexi, Roman gathered up his belongings, tossed them in his bag, and zipped it closed. "You guys ready?"

Dean nodded as he slid his gym bag on his shoulder. "Ready whenever you are."

"Just a sec." Seth slipped his feet into his sneakers. "I don't know about you guys, but after that match tonight, I'm more sore than usual."

Roman frowned. "Yeah, me too. I swear if I didn't know better, I'd think those guys were really out for our blood."

"I'm beginning to think they are." Dean raked a hand through is still-wet hair. "It occurs to me that the longer management continues this kidnapping ruse, the angrier some of Lexi's closest friends seem to be getting."

"I know." Roman sighed. Working in this industry, moving from city to city every other night, sleeping in strange beds, was tiring enough. Add in the fact that they seemed to now have a giant target on their backs, and his stress level was off the charts. When he'd suggested perpetuating this kidnapping storyline, he hadn't expected management's push to make it appear as authentic as possible by keeping his coworkers out of the loop. All he'd been thinking about was a way to keep Lexi here with him. Now he'd wished he'd let her go with her dad. Not because he didn't want to see her, but because of the effect this situation was having on his partners. Dean and Seth were both suffering because of his suggestion.

"Okay." Seth grabbed his bag and motioned to Roman. "Let's get out of here."

Roman pulled open the locker room door, stepped out in the hall, and immediately felt pain explode along the side of his face. He lifted his hands in defense, but it wasn't enough. Overpowered, someone, slammed his head against the concrete wall. Stars appeared behind his eyelids as instant anger flared through him. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and he growled.

The sounds of fists and feet, combined with shouts of pain creating a cacophony of sounds as Roman, Seth, and Dean fought back against their attackers. Several men moved in at once, overtaking him. They grabbed him by the arm and pinned him against the wall.

Lexi's longtime friend Chris moved in close and sneered at Roman. "Where is she?"

Feeling like a wiseass, Roman arched a brow. "Where's who?"

His smart-mouth reply earned him a punch to the gut, causing pain to bloom through his solar plexus as he huffed out a breath.

Chris snared Roman by the hair. "Now I'm going to ask the question again, and you're going to give me the answer I'm looking for."

"Or what?"

Chris smiled. "I had a feeling you'd ask that." He turned his attention to where several of the wrestlers held Dean and Seth, both men now resting on their knees. "Show Roman here what an 'or what' answer will get him."

One of the midcard wrestlers Chris had recruited served a swift kick to the side of Dean's face. Dean's head snapped back, and he went limp. Fear and anger washed through Roman as the scene played out in front of him. He couldn't tell and risk the wrath of management, but he also couldn't allow them to continue beating on his partners.

"Now," Chris nearly whispered. "Unless you want both your buddies to end up in the hospital, I suggest you tell me what you've done with Lexi."

Roman glanced at Seth, who shook his head, then glanced over to where Dean was slowly recovering from the kick he'd received. "We didn't _do _anything with or to Lexi," Roman replied.

"Bullshit." Chris curled his fingers in Roman's T-shirt. "We saw you carry her from ringside. We watched the videos of you taking her from the hospital."

"Yes, I carried her from ringside," Roman confirmed. "She was injured, and I was worried."

Chris narrowed his gaze. "Why?"

"Because I care about her." Roman struggled against the men holding him back. "I can promise you that she's safe and being well taken care of."

"What in the hell is going on here?" Hunter's voice boomed through the hall.

Relief flooded through Roman, washing away some of the stress. Maybe now Chris and his crew would stop beating on them.

At the sound of Hunter's voice, the men holding Roman and his partners released their grip and took several steps back. Chris turned to face Hunter, who appeared to be flanked by security. "They kidnapped Lexi, and by God, I want to know where she is." Chris demanded.

"What's going on with Lexi is none of your concern," Hunter snapped.

"Like hell it's not," Chris argued. "And it should be your concern too. Just how are you explaining her kidnapping to Bret?"

Hunter pointed a finger at Chris. "I'm warning you, Chris. Back off, or I'll suspend you and everyone involved in this little beat down."

Hunter turned his attention to Roman. "Grab Dean and Seth and go on." He nodded toward the exit. "Make sure Dean is checked out by a trainer first; then security will make sure you leave without further incident."

Roman dared a quick glance at Chris, who appeared to be fuming over Hunter's decision. Then Roman nodded, scooped up his bag, and helped Dean to his feet. Not wasting any time he, Dean, and Seth made their way out of the arena to their waiting rental car.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Roman slid the keycard in the slot and pushed open the door. Dean and Seth followed close behind. "I get first dibs on the shower," Dean mumbled.

"Whatever," Seth replied, his voice laced with exhaustion. "All I want right now is my bed. How about you, Roman?"

"That's a loaded question," Dean shot back. "He's got a hot shower and beautiful woman waiting to give him a backrub."

Roman eyed his buddy. "You have a problem with that?"

"Other than the backrub part, no not really," Dean grinned. "Maybe she'll take pity on us and you'll allow her to tend to our sore muscles too."

"Keep up the wiseass remarks and I'll make sure to let you suffer." Roman warned. "I'll see you both in the morning." Before they could reply he opened the bedroom door and dragged himself inside.

His body ached in placed he didn't know could hurt and all he wanted was a shower. This being rushed from the arena as soon as their match ended nonsense was growing old. Without adequate access to the trainers, masseuses, the therapy tubs, or even managing to grab a shower right away, his body was starting to feel the effects. There was only so many times he could get jumped by the other superstars inside the ring and out before he'd or one of the others end up hurt.

After a week, most of the roster's interest in the kidnapping story had already waned, but there were a few, mostly Lexi's close friends, that was out for _The Shield's _blood. This keeping secrets nonsense might be making good television, but at whose expense?

Lexi looked up from the book she was reading and her eyes widened in shock. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he grumbled. "I'm getting a shower." He dragged his battered body into the bathroom, set the taps and stripped out of his ring gear. As he turned to step into the shower, he caught sight of the large bruise forming on his shoulder. Did that come from inside the ring or the fight that ensued after the match?

With a heavy sigh, he stepped into the shower, turned his back to the spray and stood still, letting the hot water pelt his sore muscles. As heat infused his body, so did the guilt for snapping at her. It wasn't Lexi's fault they were all in this situation. If anything, it was his for offering up the cockamamie plan to start.

Desperate to keep her with him and to make her happy, he'd spoken without realizing the impact this plan would have, not only on him, but on Dean and Seth too. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. Being new to the company it wasn't his place to complain, but he certainly hoped Hunter and the creative team knew what they were doing.

The sound of the bathroom door clicking closed had Roman opening his eyes. "Who's there? Lexi? Is that you?"

A moment later the curtain moved and Lexi stepped into the shower. In the space of a heartbeat he lost the power of speech as he stared at her gorgeous body. Knowing his willpower was already stretched thin when it came to her, he'd always made sure she was dressed when he was around. Even when they climbed into bed together, she wore a nightgown or some sort of pajamas. Seeing her now, naked and beautiful, he struggled to maintain control. It was a battle he was slowly losing.

"Lexi, what are you doing?"

"You seemed out of sorts when you came in. I thought maybe you could use some company." She nibbled on her bottom lip and Roman damn near groaned at the sight. Did she have any idea how sexy she looked when she did that?

"This isn't a good idea," he warned as his control began to slip.

She flicked her gaze up at him, her eyes, green as grass on a warm summer's day, revealed hope and desire. "Why not?"

"You're injured," he replied even as he reached for her. The need to touch her, to feel her warm wet skin pressed against his overwhelmed him.

She placed her hands against his chest. "It's been a week and I'm getting better every day."

Her subtle invitation wasn't lost on him and despite every effort his mind made to keep control, his body wasn't listening. He wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands down her silky back, until he palmed her tight little ass, pulling her against him.

A gasp tumbled from her lips and her eyes widened when the evidence of his desire pressed against her belly. "I take it you're happy to see me?" she finally quipped.

"Giddy," Roman managed to reply then captured her lips in a kiss more scalding than the shower spray cascading over them. He kept one hand on her bottom, holding her in place and brought the other one up her side until he reached her breast.

With their bodies slick from the shower he easily slipped his hand between them, and caught her nipple between his finger and thumb. She moaned in response. It was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard and one he swore just might kill him. "God, Roman," she gasped between kisses. "Please don't stop this time. I want you. I need you."

Her pleas poured through him like fiery shots of alcohol and carried with them the same damn effect. In a moment of weakness his control snapped and the animal inside, the one he called upon when he wrestled, sprang forth. Lust heated his blood as only one thought filled his brain. _Take her now!_

He broke their kiss, then spun her so she faced the tile wall. "Put your foot up on the tub," he whispered; his words not a request but an order. The submissive in her complied immediately, lifting her foot and opening herself to him.

He slipped a hand between her legs, and let loose a growl when his fingers came back wet with her passion. She wanted him and that realization only served to fuel his appetite. The need to be inside her, to Hunter her as his, swamped him. He positioned himself behind her and barely remembered to take it slow as he thrust.

A cry tumbled from her lips as her hands scrambled for purchase as he filled her. The sound tore through his passionate haze and he slowed, giving her time to adjust. "Sorry," he managed to whisper.

She turned her head to the side and rested the uninjured part of her forehead against the tile. "Don't be," she panted. "You feel amazing."

Her praise spurred him to demand more. "If you that that feels amazing just wait." He wrapped an arm around her waist to secure her and placed his other hand on the tile wall for support. Then he began to thrust in earnest.

The wet friction sent zings of pleasure tearing through his body. _More! _ He wanted more. He wanted everything she had to give him and then some. He didn't just want her body, but also her mind, heart and her very soul.

Her moans of pleasure mixed with the running water and the slapping of flesh to create a cacophony of sounds. He panted and gasped for breath as he fought to keep his climax at bay. It was a battle he couldn't win. The low burn in his belly grew until he thought he might simply combust from the heat, but it was her cry of pleasure and the feel of her body pulsing around him that sent Roman tumbling over the edge of release.

He growled low and long and shoved deep inside her then held there as he spilled himself into her, Huntering her as his. For several minutes he didn't move. When he did it was to rest his forehead against her shoulder as shame clawed at his conscience. _What have I done?_

This wasn't how he wanted their first time to be and she certainly deserved to be treated better than some sex toy. "God, Lexi, I'm so sorry."

"For what," she managed to ask through ragged breaths, her head still pressed against the tile wall.

"For not being able to control myself. You deserve to be made love to in a bed, not taken hard standing up in some shower. I'm sorry if I hurt you"

"You didn't hurt me, Roman. Just the opposite actually."

Knowing he hadn't actually harmed her did little to sate his guilt. "Still, our first time together should have been memorable. Instead, I cheapened it by not being able to control my urges."

She lifted her head off the wall and turned to face him. Then she reached up and cradled his face in her palms. "I liked that you couldn't control yourself. In a way it made this more special."

His brow knit in confusion. "How do you figure that?"

"You losing control and taking me hard showed me how much I affect you. I've never had someone want me that badly." She grinned. "It was exhilarating and a huge boost to my ego."

His guilt slowly began to fade with her admission. He took her hand in his, turned it over and pressed a soft kiss to her palm. "How about we get dried off and I show you just how exhilarating I can really be?"

A wry smile tipped her lips. "Sounds intriguing."

"Oh it is," he promised then leaned in close and whispered. "We're going to find out just how quiet you can be and for how long, because this time, when get you into bed...I plan to take my time and enjoy you thoroughly."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

With her hair still wet and her body damp from their shower, Lexi settled onto the bed and looked expectantly up at Roman. While the sex had been wonderful, his promises of even more pleasure left her feeling needy and restless. His lips turned up on the ends as he eased onto the mattress next to her. "This time"—he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips, then pulled back—"we're going to take it nice and slow, and you're going to follow everything I tell you to do, all right?"

Speechless, she nodded as anticipation ratcheted up another notch. Just what would he tell her to do?

His fingers danced along her flesh until they wrapped around one wrist, and he slowly lifted her arm above her head. She angled her head up, looking at the top of the bed, then back to Roman. His grin widened as he repeated the process with her other arm. "Good, sweetheart. Now lace your fingers together and keep your arms above your head."

"But I want to touch you too," she argued.

"You will, but not right now."

Confused and feeling that the situation was quickly becoming one-sided, she opened her mouth to argue. "But—"

"Lexi," he growled, stopping her mid-sentence. Her eyes widened in shock, and he sighed as he struggled to take things slow. "Let me see if I can do a better job of explaining this to you. When it comes to sex, I required all control."

_All control?_ Her mind blanked for a moment as the implication of those words took hold. "Y-you mean like I have no say at all?"

His smile slowly returned. "None."

"So I can't touch you?"

His smiled widened. "Not without my permission."

"What if I don't want you to always be in control?"

"Then we're going to have a problem, sweetheart. You see, I'm a dominant, and while I love your defiant spirit in most situations, I'm going to require your complete submission when it comes to sex."

Maybe she should have been shocked by his admission, but she really wasn't. She took a moment to think back over the past couple of months, and quickly came to the conclusion that he'd been in control the entire time. He'd dictated every kiss, every intimate moment with her. Combine those facts with the confident way he carried himself, and she could easily picture him as a Dom.

What disturbed her more was that she could just as easily envision her becoming his submissive. In the past, she'd always been focused on her pleasure and worried over Edge's inability to sometimes satisfy her needs before his own. Knowing he held a tendency to be self-centered, she'd been vocal and even demanding with her desires.

This time, though, none of those traits seemed to surface. In fact, never could she remember experiencing such a powerful need to please when it came to sex. Maybe it had to do with Roman removing her ability to have a say. Was it possibly she never wanted to really be in charge?

Whatever the cause, it didn't change the fact that all her feelings seem to converge on one goal: his approval. For reasons she couldn't quite understand, she realized she needed his praise almost as much as she needed to climax.

That last thought made her nervous as hell. Was she giving up some piece of herself she'd regret losing by choosing to accept his will?

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're thinking awfully hard, sweetheart."

She licked her suddenly parched lips and caught the flare of desire in his eyes. He wanted her, and more so, wanted to command her body. Could she relinquish the control he required? "I'm just trying to decide if this is for me."

He arched a brow. "And what decision have you reached?"

"I'm not sure. I'll admit I'm intrigued, but also a little nervous. I've never done anything like this before."

He nodded as he brought a hand up to her breast and stroked over her nipple, quickly bringing it to a hard point. Ripples of need zipped through her and she gasped as the sensation. "Do you trust me to know what you need, Alexandra?" The sexy, low tenor of his voice, combined with his use of her full name, pulled at the need building deep within her.

Almost on instinct she nodded as for the first time she realized that she did in fact trust him. That discovery sent a shockwave plummeting through her as love and need combined forces and demanded satisfaction. He'd done exactly what he'd said he wanted to do—he'd earned her trust and in the process gave her back a piece of herself that had been missing for such a long time. Her need to thank him, to prove to him just how much she cared and trusted him, had her saying something she'd never imagined she utter. "I trust you, Roman, and I want to be your sub."

His grin lit up the entire room. "Now that's the right answer."

He tweaked her nipple, giving it the tiniest pinch. Pain flared through her breast. She squeaked in surprised and started to bring her hands down, only to feel his other hand push her arms back into place. "Hands together above your head." His commanding tone had liquid heat pooling between her legs.

"But that hurt," she whined.

He arched a brow. "Really? You get your ass kicked in the ring on a near daily basis, but a little pinch"—he repeated the motion, pulling a gasp from her—"is too much for you to take?"

Much to her surprise, the pain slowly twisted and turned, morphing into a new and thrilling sensation she hadn't felt before. When he moved to her other breast, rolling the pebbled nipple between his fingers, then pinching much harder than before, she rewarded him with a moan. Something akin to pleasure poured through her body, building, growing, as he slowly introduced her into an entirely new world.

Before long her breasts felt hot and heavy, as if they each gained another ten pounds. Antsy, she shifted beneath his touch and barely remembered to keep her hands in place. That task became more difficult as he worked his way down her body, taking his time, apparently enjoying every inch of her skin.

"This is my body to play with, Alexandra." He leveled a look on her that told her his statement wasn't up for debate.

She nodded as the idea of being controlled stewed in her brain.

"Say it," he ordered.

"This is your body to play with," she whispered as a fresh shot of desire poured through her. The idea was unnerving, yet thrilling in so many ways.

"Good girl. Now open your legs for me, sweetheart." Again not a request, but a command that she immediately followed. He grinned as he shifted from sitting next to her down between her now parted thighs. "Beautiful. You're doing well, sweetheart. Much better than I expected, considering your personality."

She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Um…" He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her belly. "Because you don't know, I'm going to let it go this time, but frowning at your Dom can land you in all kinds of hot water."

_Hot water?_ Her mind turned the phrase over, processing until the true meaning became clear. Her frown disappeared even as curiosity got the best of her. "You'd punish me for frowning at you?"

"I would," he replied as his smile turned wry. "And I'd enjoy every minute." He punctuated his statement with a light slap to her hip. It wasn't enough to cause more than a tiny sting, but it made his point clear. If she stepped out of line, there would be repercussions. Why did that discovery sound so appealing?

He shook his head. "You're thinking again. Let's see if I can stop that right now."

Before she could ask what he intended to do, Roman slid one finger achingly slowly down her outer labia. "Oh, baby, you are so wet for me." He swirled his digit just inside her entrance, gathering her juices, then his pulled it up and over her clit. The feathery touch felt like a jolt of electricity, causing her body to sizzle with need.

"Oh." She gasped, and her hands came down. She caught her mistake, but not before Roman. He sighed, then moved away, leaving her achy and needy, spread-eagle on the bed.

When he returned, he did so with a belt in his hand. Was this what he mean by punishment? Would he want to use that belt on her? For a moment fear reared its ugly head. "I'm tired of reminding you about this," he said as he moved next to her. He took her wrist in his hand and began wrapping the belt around her skin. Then he brought her other wrist up and repeated the process, binding them together. When he finished, he sat back and appeared to survey his work. "That will do for now, but it might be worth us investing in some silk scarves."

She glanced at the belt binding, then up to Roman's face. "Why?"

He chuckled. "You want to explain to airport security why you have handcuffs in your suitcase?"

Heat flashed through her body, and she could feel her juices trickle between her legs. As embarrassing as the thought might be, was it possible she was intrigued too? But was it the handcuffs or the idea of getting caught that caused her reaction?

She didn't have time to contemplate the question as he slid two fingers into her wet passage. "Oh God!" She arched as all thoughts dissolved in a pool of need.

"So sensitive," Roman murmured as he slowly pulled nearly all the way out, then plunged back in. "So responsive." He repeated the process, again and again and again until every cell in her body seemed to ache for release. "You're perfect, Lexi."

"Please." She heard what sounded like whiny voice beg, only to realize the plea had come from her.

"Please what?" Roman asked.

Too needy and confused to process his words, she frowned and was rewarded with a stinging slap to her hip. The sizzling pain immediately morphed into pleasure as she moaned at the delicious mix of sensations.

"Don't frown at your Dom," he warned. "Now, let's try this again. What do you call me, sub?"

Somehow his words permeated her lusty haze. "I-I don't know? What should I call you?" She panted, desperate to give him anything he wanted.

"You will address me as Sir. Now say it, sweetheart."

"Please, Sir," she begged, not feeling the least bit ashamed for doing so.

"I love the way that sounds tumbling off your lips." Then as he once again shoved his fingers inside her, he lowered his mouth to her clit. Wet heat engulfed her bottom half and threatened to set her body on fire. She cried out, then bit down on her lip as she barely remembered where she was.

He chuckled against her flesh, sending the most delicious vibrations zinging through her already sensitive nerves. "Nice control, sweetheart." He licked along her inner labia. "Let's see just how much it takes to make you lose that control."

Oh God, he was going to test her will, and she had a terrible feeling this was a test she would fail. He lowered his head a second time and laved over her opening, his tongue dragging across her oh so sensitive tissues. Her legs quivered, and her body shook as she rode that painful edge of release. _Almost!_ _Oh…oh._ He was going to make her come, and she was powerless to stop him.

Just when she didn't think she could take any more, he paused and grinned up at her. "You're going to come now, Alexandra, and you're going to do it screaming my name."

_Arrogant bastard!_ She nearly frowned at him a third time but managed to catch herself. Like hell she'd embarrass herself by having a screaming orgasm inside a hotel room. That thought splintered into a million shards as he sucked her clitoris into his mouth and shoved two fingers deep into her. Lexi's world flashed over in a sheen of white as her body spasmed, and her vagina throbbed around his fingers. Unable to stop the scream that tore from her lungs, his name slipped from her lips and filled the room as every cell in her body seemed to explode with her release.

When her climax began to fade, he slowed his movements, then eventually pulled away completely. Lexi lay limp, her skin now damp from sweat.

_Oh my God!_

Never in her life had she ever experienced such a powerful orgasm. If this was her reward for being a good submissive, then she'd be the best damn sub he'd ever known.

Roman slowly slid up her body until she could feel his erection pressing against her entrance. "I know we didn't discuss it before, but I'm clean, Lexi. I haven't been with anyone in damn near a year, and I was tested when I moved up from the developmental."

Amazed by his concern for her, she smiled at him. They'd been too caught up in the shower to think about any sort of protection, but even now that he'd asked, she knew she didn't want anything that might put a barrier between them. "After finding out about Edge and Lita, I had myself tested. I'm also clean and haven't been with anyone. Since I can't get pregnant, I don't see any need for protection."

"Good," he replied as he easily slipped inside her drenched passage. His big body hovered above hers, and for the first time since he'd bound her wrists, she could actually see the desire in his eyes. "You scream beautifully." He smiled. "Let's see if I can make you do it again. Bring your legs up, sweetheart."

Despite the implications his statement carried, she did exactly as he ordered. "That's my girl," he praised before taking her mouth in a scorching kiss.

Then without warning, he drove into her, filling her to capacity in one hard thrust.

Feeling impaled and uncomfortable, she squealed, but he swallowed her cry as his tongue commanded control. For several minutes, he didn't move, apparently giving her time to adjust. It didn't take long for that greedy bastard known as need to return. She lifted her hips, letting him know she was ready. Oh boy, was she ready.

Ever so slowly he slid nearly all the way out, the friction teasing her senses. "Hell, sweetheart, you feel so good." He pushed back in, and she arched up, meeting his thrust. As he increased his speed, he reached up, and using one hand, worked the belt around her wrists loose. It slacked. Her first instinct was to move her arms, but she remembered his order and kept them in place.

Approval lit in his eyes as he lowered his mouth to hers. "Very nice, sweetheart, but I want to feel your arms around me now."

That was all she had to hear. Achingly slow, Lexi eased her arms down, giving the muscles time to loosen up. Then she draped them over his shoulders. "Hold on," he whispered and began to work her in earnest. He surged deeper, thrust harder, and sent her climax spiraling up once again. He shifted, slightly changing his angle, and suddenly with each stroke he now rubbed against her clit.

Her fingers dug into his flesh as she panted and gasped. "Oh God. Roman, I'm gonna…I'm gonna…" She broke and once again screamed his name to the heavens. Her vaginal walls clamped down on him, pulling him deeper. He growled, and she felt the heat of his release deep in her core.

_Holy orgasm, Batman!_ She continued to shudder with tiny little aftershocks. He pulled out of her, garnering a whimper of protest that brought a smile to his face as he eased down to the bed. He turned on his side, snagged her by the hip, and nestled her against his front so she faced him. "You were wonderful. I'm so proud of you for being able to submit so easily."

His praise sent joy spiraling through her, and she rested a hand on his chest. "I don't know how, but you made me want to submit." She turned her gaze to his face and found him staring at her. "After what happened with Edge, I've had a hard time trusting anyone, but you make it so easy for me."

He reached for her, pulling her up his body so he could take her mouth, only this time the kiss was gentle and filled with love. "I know this sounds cliché after what we just did." He stroked a finger along her cheek. "But I think I'm falling in love with you."

She smiled up at him, then snuggled against his chest, her finger tracing an invisible line down his sternum. "I don't think it's cliché at all, especially since I feel the same way about you."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Lexi boiled with anger as she worked the knot from Seth's trapezius muscle. "This is bullshit." She glanced up at Roman who sat on the end of Dean's bed. "You guys are suffering because of this stupid storyline. I have friends that are worried and are constantly calling my cell phone begging me to let them know I'm all right. This has gotten completely out of hand."

"I agree, but what are we supposed to do? We're the new guys." Seth flinched beneath her hand and let out a yelp. "God, that hurts."

"Yeah," Dean added. "Seth's right. As far as management is concerned, we should just be happy to be here. It's not as if we have any opinions."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I can't complain." She moved to straddle Seth's legs, leaned forward and pressed an elbow against his back muscle. "As soon as I'm done tending to you guys I'm gonna call Hunter. This needs to stop."

Dean grinned. "That's one naughty looking position, Lexi."

She glanced down, then over to Roman, who simply rolled his eyes in response.

She glanced down, then over to Logan, who simply rolled his eyes in response.

"You know," Dean continued. "I thought I'd heard screams coming from your bedroom last night." He tapped his finger to his chin. "Though maybe I was just dreaming."

Instant heat filled every inch of her body. She'd known last night she'd been loud, but deep down, she'd hoped they hadn't heard. Apparently they had, and it appeared that Dean wasn't going to let it pass without comment.

"What about you, Seth?' Dean asked. "Did you hear Lexi screaming last night?"

"Sure did," Seth replied. "Sounded pretty hot and heavy if you ask me."

Dean nodded. "I agree. Guess Roman won't have to rub one out in the shower anymore, huh?"

Her flesh felt as if she'd been set on fire as embarrassment engulfed her from head to toe, and she struggled to ignore their teasing. She should have known they wouldn't let her slip go by without comment, but knowing that didn't make her feel any less embarrassed.

"Not when he now has Lexi to do it for him," Seth joked.

Desperate to end their razzing, she pressed harder into Seth's back. "Why don't you two grow up?" she snapped. Maybe if they thought she was getting angry, they'd back off.

"Fuck! Damn, Lexi you trying to kill me?" Seth yelled.

Yep, her plan worked just as she'd hoped. Now to keep them off track. "Stop being a baby," she ordered. "I'm doing the best I can, but you really need a deep tissue massage." She shook her head, lifted up and leaned back on her heels. "This is crazy. You guys should have showers and massages before you ever left the ring last night. I'm not qualified to give you proper massages."

She looked at Roman. "Instead of calling Hunter, I'm going with you tonight when you tape Smackdown."

Roman's eyes widened. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"This..." She motioned to the room and them. "This is no longer a good idea. No storyline. No single person is work risking injury to others"

She climbed off Seth and stepped in front of where Roman sat. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to him. "What's running through that devious mind of yours?"

"I'm coming out with you guys tonight for your match. I have something to say and by God people are going to hear it."

* * *

Lexi checked her appearance in the mirror. Dressed in camo cargo pants, a black woman's T-shirt and black boots she looked as if she belonged in The Shield. She pulled long curls up into a ponytail, careful to leave the hair around her still healing wound loose.

She stepped out of the tiny bathroom, into the larger room where the men waited.

At the sight of her, Roman stood up and slowly stalked toward her a predatory gleam in his eye.

"Damn, Lexi, you look like the female version of The Shield." Dean grinned.

"Yeah, you look great." Seth offered.

Roman stopped directly in front of her and she looked up at him. "Well? What do you think about my outfit?"

He lifted a hand to her jaw holding her in place as he lowered his head and captured her lips. Immediately, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sank into the kiss.

"Ahum!"

She pulled back slightly and smiled at Roman, then glanced over his shoulder. Dean and Seth stood shoulder to shoulder, their arms across folded across their chests, grins on their faces. "Not that we mind the show," Seth offered.

"But unless you're planning to share, you might want to save that for later," Dean added.

She looked back at Roman her grin widened. "So should we share?"

Amusement lit in Roman's eyes. "How could I not share with my best friends?"

He released her and she strolled over to where Dean and Seth stood. Without a word she stepped closed and pressed a soft kiss to Dean's lips. Then she turned to Seth and repeated the kiss.

She stepped back and enjoying their stunned expression said, "Okay, Roman; your turn to share the love."

Roman took a step forward and Lexi laughed as Dean and Seth's shock turned to horror at the realization of what Roman intended to do.

"Whoa!" Dean held out a hand in front of him. "Um...that's okay, we don't need you sharing. Right, Seth?"

"Right." Seth took a full step back. "You can just forget we asked."

Roman grinned and grabbed Lexi by the waist. "So no sharing after all, huh?"

She looked up at him to find love staring back. "Only with you," she replied, then rose up on her toes to kiss him.

Just then, the door flew open and an angry Hunter stormed inside. "What in the hell are you doing here, Lexi? You're supposed to be at the hotel."

She pulled away from Roman and turned to stand her ground. "I'm here to set the record straight tonight."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how this storyline has put giant targets on the backs of these men." She took a step forward going toe to toe with a man who stood nearly a foot taller. "I'm talking about how you're risking injury to them by denying them all the services that keeps this roving circus performing night after night. It's not fair and it needs to stop."

Hunter's anger seemed to deflate right in front of her. He let out a heavy sigh and raked a hand across his short hair. "I'll admit that none of us expected such a violent reaction from members of the roster. Our decision to whisk them out of here after their match was made to protect them from further injury."

"Well, _you_ of all people should have realized that without access to the company's wellness program they're no better off than if they'd suffered a real beat down."

"You're right," Hunter replied.

"So you're going to do something about it, right?" Lexi challenged.

"All right." Hunter nodded. "Let me go talk to the writers and see what we can come up with. Just don't do anything until you hear from me."

"Then you had better have something for me before their match," Lexi replied.

Hunter looked from her to the men, then without a word he turned and walked out.

"Holy Shit," Seth exclaimed. "I haven't known Hunter all that long, but in the few months we've been here I've never seen him bow to anyone."

"Me either," Dean agreed. "You're one tough chick, Lexi."

She waved a dismissive hand at them. "It has nothing to do with me being tough and everything to do with Vince's promise to my father."

Roman's brow knit in confusion. "I don't follow."

She rested a hip on the table "It's simple. Part of Vince's recompense to my father for what happened all those years ago was not only that he agree to give me a place in the company and but to watch over me." She shook her head. "It may not have appeared like it when you saw him, but my Dad isn't happy with Vince about me getting hurt. As you've seen, he's very opinionated and outspoken and he'd have no problem going to the press with all this."

Seth arched a brow. "Ahh...I get it. The fallout from bad press surrounding you would fall squarely on Hunter's shoulders."

Lexi gave a nod. "Exactly. I like Hunter and consider him a friend, but he and creative are wrong this time and they need to fix it."

"Why not just walk out of here and head backstage?" Dean asked. "I mean, if you suddenly showed up, they wouldn't be able to say we kidnapped you then."

"Sure they would," Lexi corrected. "How would I explain the fact that I haven't answered my cell phone for the last week? How would I explain where I'd been? You actually think they'll believe that this was all a big ruse? Especially coming from me?"

"Lexi's right," Roman added. "They'll chalk it up to her escaping and trying to protect us by making up some lie about it all being part of the storyline." He shook his head. "This has to come from management to be legit; otherwise we'll still end up with targets on our backs."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Lexi glanced at the monitor and then up at the clock. Hunter had yet to return with a game plan and now he was out of time. This ruse would end tonight come hell or high water.

"You ready?" Roman asked.

She nodded. "Let's do it." She stepped into the hallway with the men and noted the heavy security. "Do you always have this kind of an escort?"

"Since we supposedly kidnapped you, yes. Before that, it was only a few guards to keep the fans back."

The roar of the crowd grew louder and her heart began to beat faster with each step closer to the center of the action. She loved the feel of anticipation, but tonight it was tinged with apprehension. What she was about to do would piss off a number of people and most likely place her future with this company on the chopping block. Still, if sacrificing her career in the name of all that was right was the only way to get management to listen, then she'd do it willingly.

_Sierra...Hotel...Indigo...Echo...Lima...Delta...Shield._ The music kicked in and Roman gave her a tiny nudge. She stepped forward directly into the camera spotlight and the crowd exploded in cheers. Leading the way she descended the steps with Roman close enough she could almost feel his body heat. When she reached the bottom she waited for him to jump over the barrier, then he turned back and lifted her up and over.

"I'm going to the announcers table," she said close to his ear so he could hear her.

He gave a nod and as he joined Dean and Seth for the six-man tag match, she walked directly to the announce table and slid into the empty seat next to JBL.

Bradshaw and Michael Seth stared at her wide eyed. "Lexi Hart. You're alive and well," JBL finally said.

"We certainly weren't expecting you tonight. In fact we thought you'd been kidnapped by The Shield," Michael added.

Lexi slid the extra headset over her ears and adjusted the microphone. "I don't know who started that ridiculous rumor about my kidnapping, but as you can see, it's completely false."

JBL arched a brow. "Is it?"

"Of course it is."

"Then explain what happened to you after Roman Reigns carried you away two weeks ago on Raw," JBL replied.

"And what about the video of The Shield whisking you away from the hospital?" Michael added.

"Dean, Roman, and Seth felt bad about me getting injured and volunteered to take care of me until I was better. That's all."

The two announcers paused and stared at her as if she'd suddenly grown two heads. "You don't really expect us to believe that lame story, do you?" JBL asked.

"I have to agree with Bradshaw on this," Michael added. "The Shield does nothing that doesn't benefit them in some way. Taking care of you would not benefit them."

"I'm telling you it's true," Lexi argued. "There is more to The Shield than what you all see."

"I get the feeling that you're actually siding with them," JBL argued. "Have they brainwashed you?"

"Do you believe in their theory of justice?" Michael asked.

"The important thing is that they believe in it," she replied. "And no they haven't brainwashed me or kidnapped..." She let her sentence trail off as Randy appeared from around the side of the ring with Chris following close behind. They stormed toward where she sat, their faces a mask of relief and determination.

Randy reached for her and she pulled her arm away. "What are you doing?"

"We're getting you out of here while _The Shield_ is busy with their match," Randy answered.

"Are you crazy?"

"Come on, Lexi," Chris urged as he glanced from her to the match and back. "Let's go."

"No." She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

Chris shot her a look of confusion. "What's wrong with you? Have they brainwashed you or something?"

Anger welled inside her. Why wasn't anyone listening to her? "That's the second time in less than five minutes that someone has accused me of being brainwashed and I don't appreciate it."

"We don't have time for this," Randy grumbled. He moved closer and pulled Lexi from her seat. "Let's go."

Chris stripped her of the headset and Randy wrapped her in a bear hug. "WHAT...ARE...YOU...DOING?" Lexi yelled as she fought to free herself from the Viper's grip. "PUT...ME...DOWN!"

"Not until we know you're safe." Chris replied.

"I am safe. Now, let go of me," Lexi screamed

"No," Randy nearly growled. "We're getting you away from those jackals."

"They're not jackals."

"They kidnapped you," Randy argued.

"The only one kidnapping me is you," she shot back. "Now let go!"

As Randy backed his way up the ramp Lexi's panic began to build. If they dragged her away without believing her, then no one would ever know the truth and _The Shield _would be forever branded.

While she didn't much care what the crowd thought, she desperately needed her friends and the other superstars to know the truth. What would happen to her relationship with Roman if her friends never allowed him to get close? Would they force her to choose between them and him? Fear welled inside her at the idea of having her relationship destroyed by this lie. She fought harder, trying to break free.

"Lexi, stop it."

"No!" she snapped. "Let me go."

"Not a chance," Chris shot back.

"Then you leave me no choice," she replied. "Roman, help!" she screamed and her heart jumped when his head snapped up from where he, Dean, and Seth were putting a beat down on the final member of the other team.

His eyes widened as events registered. "Lexi!" He slid from the ring and rushed toward them. Dean and Seth followed close behind.

Randy's grip tightened and he struggled to move faster, but in an attempt to deliberately slow him down Lexi went completely limp, becoming dead weight. It only took a moment for Roman and crew to close in and Randy had no choice but to release her.

The moment she felt freedom she raced for Roman, who immediately tucked her behind him as Seth and Dean moved in to attack. Chris and Randy stood their ground, but they weren't any match for The Shield.

She watched in horror the result of her decision play out. Guilt ridden, she snagged Roman by the arm. "Please. Enough. Let's go."

He glanced at her then gave a nod. "Let's go guys. They've learned their lesson."

With Roman on her heels, she raced back toward the ring, then climbed the same barrier they'd entered over. Sadness, anger and guilt swirled inside her like a black putrid stew. This hadn't gone at all as she'd envisioned and obviously Hunter hadn't bothered to do a damn thing he said he'd do. Between her decision to speak out, and his non-action all she'd managed to do was make the situation worse.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

They stepped inside their dressing room and Lexi stopped short at the sight of Hunter. "What the hell, Lexi?"

"Me?" She angled a finger against her chest then stormed toward Hunter. "I should be asking you what the hell? What was that shit out there? You sent Chris and Randy out after me?"

"And going with them would have ended this so-called ruse you've been complaining about."

Her eyes widened in shock and she shook her head. "Have you lost your mind? The only thing that would have accomplished would be to solidify the shield's evil nature."

"Exactly." Hunter replied. "The crowd loves their bad guy personas."

"But the superstars don't," she argued. "All I wanted was for you to tell the stars on the roster the truth. Instead, your answer was to extend this charade by sending my two best friends out to kidnap me back." She shook her head. "I couldn't let that happen."

"As much as I agree with you about direction this is going, let me remind you, Lexi. Vince owns this company and you signed a contract with him which means Vince owns you. So as much as you don't like what's happening, you will do as told and follow this storyline to the letter."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Or what?"

Sadness slowly replaced Hunter's angry expression. "Lexi, please..."

"Or what, Hunter?"

"Or you'll be fired," he finally replied. He stared at her a moment then pushed past her and the guys only to stop at the door. "You know, we've all be stuck in lousy stories, but we do what's expected of us. You've worked hard to get where you are, Lexi. Please just think about this before you do anything that's going jeopardize your career."

* * *

An hour later she paced the hotel room, trying to work off some of the anger she felt. Instead, the more she thought about what happened tonight, the angrier she became. Nothing worked out the way she'd wanted and in the end, she'd only made things worse.

"Now what?" Dean asked from where he sat on the couch.

Lexi shook her head. "I don't know. Let me think."

Roman snagged her by the arm and pulled her to him. "Relax, sweetheart. We'll figure this out."

"How? Nobody believed me when I tried to set the record straight." God she was tired and her head was starting to hurt again. She leaned against Roman and rested her head on his chest.

"I just want things how they used to be. Don't get me wrong. I like being with you guys, but I want to be able to go to the bar after the show, hang out with my friends and have my boyfriend by my side." She flicked her gaze up at him. "Is that so much to ask?"

"No, baby. It's not."

"God, I'm so tired."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You need to go to bed and get some rest. I'm sure with a fresh perspective in the morning the situation will be much clearer.

* * *

The next morning Lexi sat in silence at the small table eating breakfast and ruminating over the previous night's events. What could she do to convince everyone that this wasn't how it seemed; especially when management wasn't willing to lift a finger to make the situation right?

Maybe she should try calling Kaitlyn or Natalya? If she could make them listen then maybe... _Maybe what?_ What would calling either of them really accomplish? The advice she needed should come from someone with years of experience and who knows how the company worked.

"Well," Dean began as he walked from his bedroom, his hair still wet from the shower. "I was just checking social media and it appears our little stunt last night only helped boost ratings even more."

Roman looked up from where he sat on the couch reading the morning paper. "That's just great. You know, I don't mind being hated by the fans. After all, that's part of our job, but this nonsense backstage is really working my last nerve."

Dean slid into the empty seat across from Lexi and snagged a piece of her bacon. "Well, management won't want to screw up ratings like this by being honest. Since Hunter pretty much threatened Lexi's career if she continues pushing for the truth, I guess we'll all just need to get used to how things are."

_Like hell! _Lexi dropped her fork on her plate. Leaving her breakfast sit, she hurried into the bedroom and pulled her cell phone from her bag. She knew who would have the answer to this problem. Ignoring the myriad of unread text messages, voicemails and missed calls she scrolled through her contacts, then hit send.

After two rings, he picked up. "Hey sweetie. To what do owe the pleasure of this call?"

She glanced at the door leading into the common area and thought about Roman, Dean and Seth. They needed her help. "I need your advice, Dad."

"Would this have anything to do with that ridiculous storyline they're pushing about you being kidnapped?"

"It has everything to do with it. This situation has gotten completely out of control and I don't know how to stop it." Her voice cracked as emotion welled from deep inside. She'd grown close to these men over the past two weeks and watching them be treated so poorly by management made her spitting mad.

"Okay, sweetie, calm down and tell me what's going on. We'll figure something out."

Ten minutes later she'd brought him up to speed on the situation. "And that's why I'm calling you. These guys are going to end up getting seriously hurt if things stay status quo."

"We'll you've definitely gotten yourself into a quandary," Bret replied. "Though, it doesn't surprise me that management has pulled such a stunt. They'll do anything for ratings, including destroying their own talent."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, dad." She swallowed hard. "This guys have bright futures ahead of them; especially Roman. He has the makings to be a mega-star like you. I don't want to see him lose that chance."

"And you've tried talking to Hunter?"

"Yes. His answer was to ignore me and send Randy and Chris out to further the plot. When that didn't work he threatened to fire me if I didn't play nice."

"You could have let them take you and it would have been over."

"I would have if this stupid story had just been for the fan's benefit, but everyone on the roster would have permanently branded them because of this and I couldn't let that happen."

"What about enlisting Natalya's help?"

Lexi picked at the nonexistent fuzz on the comforter cover the bed. "She's busy fawning all over Khali and making a fool of herself. Besides, what would involving her really accomplish? I carry more weight with management than she does. If they won't listen to me, there's no way they'd listen to her."

"Point taken," Bret replied. Silence filled the line for several moments before he spoke again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"How much does Roman really mean to you, Alexandra?"

"Why?"

"Just answer the question."

She looked over at the door and her heart softened at the memory of her and Roman spending hours making love two nights ago. He'd been so gentle with her, yet demanding in his needs. She'd fulfilled those needed just as he'd fulfilled hers. "He means a lot to me."

"Do you love him?"

His question resonated through her body and her heart responded with a resounding yes. "With all my heart. Why?"

"Because what I'm about to suggest is dramatic, and could severely damage your career. I just wanted to be sure that it would be worth the risk for you."

"What is it?"

"If you want management to take you seriously you're going to have to quit, Alexandra."

Her body jerked at the shock of his statement. "But if I quit..." She let her sentence trail off as the thought of leaving Roman left her speechless.

"I know, sweetheart, but sometimes when you love someone you have to do what's best for them, even when it hurts you in the process. You're nearing the end of your contract, right?"

"Y-yes." She swallowed hard, "I only have three more weeks. My agent is negotiating with talent relations for a new one."

"Then you need to take the opportunity while you have it, Lexi. They know you have feelings for Roman and think you're afraid of being fired. Take the power out of their hands. Quit and I promise you management will have no choice but to set them free from this storyline."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Steeling her nerves, Lexi took a deep breath and walked into catering. The last thing she wanted was to leave, but if it meant saving her guys from future serious injuries then it would be worth it.

Kaitlyn was the first to notice her and came rushing over. "Lexi!" she squealed and threw her arms around Lexi. "What are you doing here?"

Lexi returned her hug then forced a smile. "I'm here to set the record straight."

John Cena was the next to approach her and within minutes she found herself surrounded by her friends. "How did you get away," John asked.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked as he pushed past Kaitlyn. "Did they hurt you?"

"No they didn't hurt me," Lexi replied, indignant at the accusation.

"How did you get away?" John repeated.

Lexi shook her head. "I didn't get away." She air quoted the words.

"But we all thought you were kidnapped," Randy added.

"Lexi!" Hunter's voice cut over the murmur of her friends.

She turned to see him standing a few feet away, concern and frustration etched across his face. "I'm sorry, Hunter, but this ends right here, right now."

Chris looked from Lexi to Hunter. "What ends? What are you talking about?"

"Lexi don't do this," Hunter warned.

"Or what?" She challenged. "Oh right." She tapped a finger to her chin as if she were deep in thought. "Or I'm fired, right? Well, I'll save you the horrible task of firing me. I quit!"

"What?" Chris's eyes widened in shock as a collective gasp ripped through the group. "Now wait just a damn minute. Somebody needs to start talking and making sense."

"Let me," Lexi offered. "The kidnapping was nothing more than a storyline. Management intentionally kept it from all of you." She glanced at Hunter who remained silent. "They knew if you all thought it was real, it would make for better television."

"Wait!" Randy held up a hand. "They faked your kidnapping to us?"

Lexi nodded. "It was supposed to make for good television, but Dean, Seth and Roman are suffering because of management's decision They're not supposed to make friends with you all because keeping you all on edge would make for better television."

Chris and Randy exchanged looks of disbelief, then they both turned to look at Hunter. Needing to get it all out in the open Lexi continued. "And since the kidnapping storyline they can no longer receive the wellness program after their matches for fear you all are going to attack them. They're suffering and risking injury and nobody seems to give a damn."

"Hunter, is what she's saying true?" John asked.

"Of course it's true," Lexi answered. "Why else would I be standing here in front of you now and what do I have to gain by lying? I already quit."

"Now wait just a damn minute." Chris motioned to Lexi. "Nobody is quitting."

"Either way I'm gone," Lexi replied. "Hunter has orders from Vince to fire me if I spilled the beans about this. I'm choosing to quit so Hunter doesn't have to make that decision." Tears welled in her eyes and she took a deep breath in an attempt to maintain control. "I'm choosing to quit because I care about Roman, Dean and Seth and am willing to do what's right." She slid a sideways glance at Hunter. "Even if that means sacrificing myself in the process."

"You're not going to let her go, are you, Hunter?" Chris asked.

Hunter hung his head. "I don't have a choice."

"So what she said is true?" John asked. "You threatened to fire her if she said anything?"

"I didn't want to," Hunter offered. "But my hands are tied."

Lexi took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Chris. "I'm sorry about the other night, but I couldn't let the story go in that direction. I love you and I hope you can forgive me."

Chris pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek. "You know I do."

After a moment she pulled back and turned to give Randy a hug. "You don't have to apologize," he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you," she whispered and then stepped out of his embrace. "One last thing." She looked around at her group of friends, her road family. "Don't make what I did here for nothing. Give Roman, Seth and Dean a chance. They're really good guys, who took great care of me while I recovered and they could use some friends."

She turned to Hunter. "I'm going back to the hotel to get my things then I'm heading back to Calgary. If for some reason you should need me I'll be at my dad's place."

Hunter gave a nod. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Yeah." She patted him on the arm. "Me too."

* * *

Twenty minutes later Lexi stood outside the hotel room door trying to get her emotions under control. She'd chosen not to tell Roman her plans until she was sure of what she was going to do. Now that the deed was done, she'd have to break the news to him. A giant lump formed in her throat at the thought of having to break the news to Roman.

Saying goodbye was going to be one of the hardest things she'd ever done in her life. She slid the keycard in the lock and pushed open the door. Relieved to see the main room empty, she crossed to the bedroom. Empty!

Had they gone to the area already? Maybe they'd found the hotel's gym and were trying to put together a decent workout. Either way, she'd take advantage of their absence and pack. Being ready to leave when she told him might make things just a bit easier.

She pulled her bags from the closet, grabbed her toiletries from the bathroom. Then she crossed over to the bed and picked up her nightgown off the floor. After sharing a bed with Roman for the last two weeks, sleeping alone was going to feel weird.

Anger and sadness swirled inside her as reality slowly set in. In the span of fourteen days she'd opened her heart and found love only to lose it again. She reached for Roman's shirt draped across the back of a chair, then buried her face in the fabric, inhaling his scent. Tears welled and she let out a sob. Why did doing the right thing have to be so painful and how in the hell was she going to tell Roman?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Roman slid the keycard in the lock and pushed open the door. Somehow, he, Dean, and Seth had managed to put together a good workout using the hotel's tiny gym and pool. Now he needed a quick shower and a little downtime with Lexi.

Her disposition the past couple of days worried him. He knew she worried over the situation with the storyline and their health, but ever since she'd spoken with her father she'd been moody and emotionally distant. He'd tried to get her to talk, but whatever it was bothering her she hadn't been ready to share. Not knowing what was wrong made it impossible for him to fix the problem and that fact didn't sit well at all. His job was to protect and take care of her, but being a strong independent woman, she was making that difficult.

He'd barely made it into the room when the muffled sound of sobs filtered through the closed bedroom door. Why was she crying? Was she injured and in pain? His heart skipped a beat then sped up and he raced for the room. He threw open the door hard enough to make it bounce off the wall.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her face buried in one of his shirts sobbing like a child. His heart broke at the sight before him and he took a tentative step forward. Dean and Seth stepped into the doorway, but he waved them off, motioning for them to move away. They did without argument.

"Lexi? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up and immediately reached for him. He crouched in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't want to go," she sobbed against his shoulder.

_Go? _Confusion wracked his brain as he pulled her against him. "Go where, sweetheart? What is this about?"

After a moment she pulled back and looked at him, then lifted a hand to cradle his cheek. "I love you so much."

He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I love you too, but honey, you're not making any sense."

Her gaze drifted to the floor. "You know that saying if you love something you must set it free?"

"Yeah?" Her randomness was beginning to concern him. Why wasn't she making any sense? What had happened while they'd been gone?

"I did something today in order to set you free."

His brow knit in confusion. What in the world was she talking about? "What?"

"I went to the arena and confessed everything to Chris, Randy and the others."

Her words landed like a verbal jab to his gut as Hunter's warning echoed through his mind. "You did what?"

"Please don't make me say it again."

Panic and anger coursed through him at lightning speed. He grabbed her head in his hands and held her still. "But Hunter said-"

"I know what Hunter said," she cut him off, regret in her voice. "But you guys are unnecessarily risking injury because of me. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I had to make it right, no matter what the cost."

Suddenly, her babbling about not wanting to go made sense. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as reality came into focus. "Hunter made good on his promise, didn't he?"

She shook her head. "I saved him the trouble. I quit."

"You what?" Her verbal slap sent his mind reeling. He raked a hand through his hair and stood up as anger finally took over. How could she have done this without talking to him? "Why in the hell did you do that?"

"He was going to fire me anyway. I simply made it so he didn't have to do something he didn't really want to do."

"Jesus, Lexi." Feeling the sting of betrayal, he paced away from her and back. "Why didn't you talk to me about this before you did it?"

"Because you would have tried to talk me out of it," she replied. "I couldn't let you do that. What I did was right."

"What you did was career suicide," he yelled. "Not to mention what you've done to us."

"Don't you think I know that?" She stood and leveled her watery gaze directly on him. "Nothing matters more than your future. You said yourself that this is all you ever wanted to do."

"My future?" He angled a thumb against his chest. "My future? What about your future? What about _our _future, Lexi?" He stormed across the room until he stood directly in front of her. "Did you even consider that I might have a right to not only know about this ahead of time, but to have a say in this decision?"

"I couldn't tell you," she replied as tears streamed down her face. "I couldn't risk having a moment of weakness. I know you're mad at me and you have every right to be, but I did this for you. I did this because I love you. Hopefully, at some point in the future you'll understand and find it in your heart to forgive me." She turned away from him, walked around the bed to her bag, tossed his shirt inside, and zipped it up. "For now I have to go. I don't belong here anymore."

She slid her bag over her shoulder and grabbed the other one in her opposite hand. Then she crossed back around the bed, walked up to him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you."

Slowly she pulled backed, turned and walked through the bedroom door. Roman remained in place until the sound of the room door closing reached his ears, signaling the finality of the situation. He dropped onto the bed and lowered his face into his hands. This had to be some sort of horrible dream.

"Roman?" Dean asked from the doorway. "What happened?"

"Yeah." Seth angled a thumb toward the door. "Where was Lexi going with her bags?"

Roman lifted his face from his hands and stared at his friends for a moment before he replied. "It's over. She's going home."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

With purpose in every step, Roman stormed the interior hall of the arena looking for the one person who could fix this situation. He yanked open the door to catering and flanked by Seth and Dean walked inside. Immediately, the room went silent as superstars and mid-carders alike stopped to look at them.

It didn't matter what they all thought. Nothing mattered except fixing this situation and getting Lexi back. It took only a moment of scanning the room before he found his intended target.

Hunter watched him approach and stood as Roman neared. "I know what you're going to say."

"Do you?" Roman struggled to maintain control of his anger. Putting his hands on the legend wouldn't accomplish anything.

"I know you're upset, but Lexi made her decision." Hunter replied. "If there is anyone who you should be mad at in this situation, it's her."

"Why is that?" Dean asked. "Why should he be mad at Lexi for doing the right thing?"

"Yeah," Seth added. "Why be mad at her when you forced her to make that decision?"

"Do you think I like this outcome?" Hunter snapped. "Lexi is my friend and I love her dearly."

"Well I love her too," Roman shouted. "She sacrificed not only her career but our relationship because management gave her no other choice."

"It wasn't me." Hunter argued. "It was Vince." He glanced around the room, then lowered his voice. "Why don't we go talk somewhere a little more private?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Roman folded his arms across his chest. Dean and Seth followed his actions.

"You're not helping your case, Roman." Hunter warned. "If you cross Vince, he'll fire you too. Do you really want to give up your entire future for some fleeting relationship with a girl you managed to sweet talk into bed?"

A sheet of red filled Roman's vision and in the blink of an eye he had Hunter pinned against the wall. The sound of chairs scraping across the floor told him stars were preparing for battle, but he didn't care as he stared Hunter in the face. "Don't you dare disrespect her like that."

"It wasn't meant as disrespect," Hunter replied, but made no move to fight back. "I was simply trying to make you see the bigger picture. You have a bright future with this company."

Roman's fingers curled into Hunter's shirt. "My future means nothing without her in it. She is everything to me. Don't you understand that?"

For a moment Hunter remained silent, then he nodded. "Yeah, actually I do understand what she means to you, but just because she's gone doesn't mean you two can't still have a relationship."

"Easy for you to say," Chris said from a few feet away. Roman glanced his direction and noted the look of understanding on his face. "Hunter, your situation is a bit different. You married the owner's daughter. You can see her whenever you feel like it. That's not such an easy task for the rest of us."

"Chris is right," Miz agreed. "Most of us have to make the choice, the company or our relationships. It's damn near impossible to balance both and succeed."

"Besides," John Cena added. "Lexi lives in another country. What is he supposed to do, pick up and move across the border?"

"Canada isn't that far away," Hunter replied.

"It's not the same as you moving to Connecticut to be closer to Stephanie," Chris countered.

For several moments, no one said a word then Hunter finally spoke. "Okay, I see your point, but what do you want me to do?"

"Fix this," Roman replied.

"I can't. Vince can be very vindictive when he wants to be."

"So can I," Chris said. "Tell Vince if he doesn't fix this situation then I'm walking too"

Shock rippled through Roman's system as Chris's words took root and he turned his attention from Hunter to Chris.

"She's my best friend," Chris explained. "She's always been there for me and I'd do anything for her."

"That makes two of us," Randy said as he stepped next to Chris.

"Make that three," John added.

Within minutes nearly half the roster, many of them superstars stood behind Roman. He let go of Hunter and stepped back. "Well, it looks like you have a bigger problem. So what are you going to do about it?"

Hunter scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded. "Okay. Okay. You guys win. I'll try to talk to Vince about this situation with Lexi, but-" He held up a hand. "we need to have a plausible storyline ready to present."

Roman nodded. "Her biggest argument had to do with the others on the roster not knowing the truth. Now that they do, I think you could probably do whatever you wanted in front of the camera and she'd go for it."

Twenty minutes later they sat around a large table, superstars looking over their shoulders as Hunter mapped out their idea. "Okay." He leaned back in the chair, looked at Roman and grinned. "This might just work."

"So exactly what's the plan here?" Chris asked.

"Lexi's been maintaining that The Shield didn't kidnap her, but nobody believes her. So she's going to turn heel and join The Shield in a fight against what she sees as injustice. She's experienced that injustice first hand, so she now believes in The Shield's cause."

"That gets her wrestling again," Roman added. "Which is what she really wants anyway."

Chris grinned. "And it puts her back in your arms."

Roman smiled up at his new friend. "That too."

"Now," Hunter said. "I'll present this to Vince and see if I can get him to go for it. If he does, it's going to be your job, Roman to bring her back to us."

"No problem." He looked from Hunter to Chris and then on to others in the group and smiled. "I'll kidnap her if I have to."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lexi stared out her bedroom window at the snowcapped mountains in the distance. She grew up staring at those same mountains, dreaming of the day she'd live life beyond what she could see from her window.

Now, she found herself right back right where she started, wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her life. Vince owned damn near everything that pertained to wrestling so going somewhere else wasn't possible. Short of signing on with Impact, her career as a wrestler was pretty much over.

Maybe she could go back and finish her degree in communications or maybe she could become a personal trainer. She'd almost forgotten to call her trainer and inform him of what what going on. He'd been disappointed, but understood. She wasn't his only wrestler and she doubted she'd be missed. Though she already missed her life inside the ring, her friends, and Roman. Almost immediately, her eyes stung as tears threatened to fall yet again. She'd only been gone a few days, but she missed him so much she physically hurt.

"Sweetie."

She turned to find her father standing in the doorway and quickly wiped her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you don't want to go with me?"

She shook her head. "No."

"We'd only be gone a few days and it would do you good."

"I would really just rather stay here."

His mouth turned down into a frown. "Sulking isn't going to fix this, Alexandra.".

"Maybe not, but I think I have a right to wallow in my own pity for a few days."

He let out a long sign and crossed to where she sat, then crouched in front of her. "It's only been a couple of days since you left. You have to give this time to work."

"What if it doesn't, Dad?" This time she didn't bother hiding her tears. "What if I did all of this for nothing? Then I've given up my career and lost the love of my life."

Bret took her hands in his. "I know it's hard for you to see past the pain right now, but you have to trust me when I tell you that sometimes there are situations in life where you have to take a leap of faith."

She swallowed hard and nodded. "I understand, but the not knowing is just so hard."

"I know, baby." He tugged her into his arms. "I worked that roster a lot of years and I know Vince pretty well. I firmly believe you'll be getting a phone call soon. It's hard, but be patient." He pulled back and smiled at her. "I'm proud of you for standing on your principals, sweetie."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You sure you don't want to go with me?"

She shook her head. "I'm a big girl. I'll be fine here by myself for a few days."

"I know you will." He glanced at his watch "I gotta run or I'm gonna miss my flight. If you need me call my cell."

"I'll be fine," she said again. "Have fun doing your book signing."

"I will and remember, Alexandra, keep the faith."

She watched her father drive away, then crawled onto her bed and curled into a ball. Physically and emotionally exhausted, all she wanted to do was take a nap and try to forget.

* * *

Startled, Lexi sat up with a jerk and glanced around the room. What woke her and more importantly how long had she been asleep? She glanced at the clock, shocked to find four gone. Guess I was more tire than I thought! She barely finished that thought when the distinctive knocking on the front door caught her ear.

She pushed off the bed and hurried down stairs. Dad probably had Mrs. Reynolds look in on her. Sometimes he could be such a worry wart. The knocking continued as she crossed the livingroom to the front door. She reached for the door, then thought twice, deciding to peer out the window first. What if someone saw her dad leave and was checking to make sure the house was empty? Better safe than sorry,

She sidled up to the accent window that surrounded the front door and peered through the frosted panes. Shock then disbelief ricocheted through her system as her brain struggled to process what her eyes saw.

With a shaky hand, she flipped the lock, turned the handle and came face to face with the love of her life. God he looked amazing standing on her front porch, dressed in tight black jeans and and even tighter black T-shirt. For a moment she wondered if she was still sleeping and this was nothing more than some elaborate dream.

"Roman? What are you doing here?"

"I came here for you, baby. Are you going to invite me in or do I have to stand on your front porch until the neighbors call the cops?"

"Oh God, I'm sorry." She took a step back, allowing him to enter. He stepped into the room and immediately turned back to her. His big hand landed on the door above her head and he gave it a forceful shove. It slammed closed behind her a moment before she found her back pressed against the wood.

Roman's hands seemed to be everywhere, his mouth taking hers in a kiss so consuming she swore it melted her very soul. Desperate to feel his love, to feel his touch, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He picked her up and she hooked her legs around his back.

"You're mine, Lexi," Roman stated between kisses. "You belong to me."

"I'm yours," she echoed as she struggled to get closer to him. "I belong to you."

"Where's your bedroom?"

"Upstairs. The first door on the right." Still holding her against him, he crossed the room, climbed the steps and pushed open the bedroom door. He eased her down onto the mattress, then hovered over her, his gaze boring into her. "You're such a part of me, sweetheart. I've been lost these last few days without you."

"I've missed you so much," she confessed. "Please, Roman. Make love to me?"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Feeling sexy and desired, Lexi directed him up the steps and into her bedroom. He kicked the door closed with his foot and gently placed her on the bed. Then followed her down so his big body covered hers. "I missed you so much, baby. The bed felt cold and empty without you."

His expression of love touched her heart and she reached up to cradle his face in her palms. "I've dreamed about you and wished you were here with me."

He grinned. "Well I'm here now and I plan to make all those dreams come true." He pushed up to his knees, stripped out of his T-shirt and unceremoniously dropped it on the floor. Then he gathered the hem of her blouse and pulled it up and over her head. He paused, his gaze raking over her. "Every time damn I see you I lose the power to think. You're just so freaking beautiful."

His words sent joy and warmth spreading through her, replacing the cold, emptiness she'd carried in her heart since she left. He reached down and with practiced experience unhooked her bra freeing her breasts to him. A sound of male satisfaction tumbled from him, then lowered his dark head to kiss her belly. His lips lingered against her skin, evoking chills as he worked his way up her body. A shiver rippled through her as his tongue swiped along the underswell of her breast. Anticipation bloomed deep within and she squeaked with pleasure as he moved to suck on her nipple. Her hands flew to his head, tangling in his long dark hair as he raked his teeth across her sensitive bud.

_More! _She wanted, no she needed more. "Roman!" Her body tightened as warm wet need pooled between her legs. She arched into him hoping he'd take the hint. Even as he continued to give her breasts attention, his hands slid down her waist, his fingers hooked into her shorts and he tugged. In an effort to expedite the process, she elevated her hips. He released her nipple with a wet pop then inched away from her, taking her shorts and underwear with him.

She didn't even realize she'd made a sound until his eyes gleamed with amusement and he chuckled. "Impatient little nymph. Don't worry your pretty little head," he said as he worked his jeans free, divesting himself of his remaining clothing. "I plan to give you everything you need." His words conjured all sorts of naughty images in her mind and sent lust blazing through her.

Never, in all her life, had she ever wanted anyone with as much fervor as she did Roman. Somehow, without her knowing it, he'd healed her heart and filled in the missing piece to her soul. Their gazes met. She saw the promise and the love in his eyes and knew she'd made the right decision in quitting. Her love for him ran deeper than she ever thought possible. It was all encompassing and unconditional.

She reached for him, wanting him, all of him. He lowered his big body over her, settling his hips between her thighs. She held him close, enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. The warmth of his body seep through her as he pressed soft kisses along her neck and along her jaw. His hardness pressed against her mound and a sudden desperate need to feel him inside her flooded through her. She widened her legs, then curled them around his body, hoping he'd understand.

His soft chuckle resonated against her ear. "Oh no, sweetheart. Not yet."

She groaned in frustration. "Please, Roman."

He pulled back, and leveraged himself on his elbows to look down at her. "Whose body is this right now?"

"Yours," she responded without thought and was rewarded with a smile.

"Do you trust me to know what you need?"

"Yes."

"Good." Then he began a slow slide down her body, peppering kisses across her already sensitive skin along the way. He stopped at her breasts and gave each equal attention. He lapped at the buds and sucked them until she swore she just might go insane. He moved lower to her belly, then lower where he pressed kisses down to her pelvis.

Like a snake preparing the strike, anticipation began to coil. Waiting, she closed her eyes. His shoulders nudged their way between her splayed thighs, pushing them further apart so she was completely bared to him.

_Please!_ Her mind screamed, but she didn't utter a word. Her body was his to play with and no matter how much she begged he'd move at his pace. When he parted her folds with the gentlest of touches, her mind jumped for joy. Then warm, wet heat engulfed her and her hips convulsed as she cried in pleasure. Her legs shook and her body tightened as tiny spasms radiated from her pelvis outward.

He worked her hard. Each time she came close to that elusive edge of release, he'd pull back. Desire, lust, frustration and the desperate need to come mixed and mingled until he'd reduced her to a quivering mass raw nerves and unspeakable need. Still, he refused to let her come.

He raised his head, breaking contact and she whimpered at the loss. "God, Lexi, I can't get enough of you. You're like an addiction." He dipped his head a second time and she gasped in pleasure, her back arched up as her fingers clung to the comforter. Pleasure flowed through her body, pushing her to the brink.

When he lifted his head a second time she nearly growled in protest. His knowing eyes leveled on her "I need you so bad, sweetheart. I can't wait to lose myself in you again."

She raised up and cupped his cheek. "Then take, me, Roman." The moment she'd stepped into the shower with him nearly two weeks ago, she'd given her body to him. It belonged to him now. "Don't make me wait any longer." She pressed a soft kiss against his mouth.

His lips parted and a low growl escaped as he deepened the kiss and slowly moved up her body. He gathered her hands in his, lifted them above her head and held them there with one big paw. A giddy thrill of excitement zinged through her at the realization that he controlled her. His hips pressed against the inside of her thighs and her breathing sped up in anticipation.

Her skin felt electrified and every whisper of a touch seemed to zap her nerve endings. "Please, Roman."

He breached her entrance and slowly eased inside. The feel of her delicate tissues stretching to accommodate him pulled a moan from her. Desperate to hold onto something she tried to lift her arms and was immediately reminded that she couldn't. Her body tightened around him and he grinned. "My body to play with, baby. You will do as I say and take whatever I decide to give you. Understand?"

She nodded and a cry tumbled from her lips as he gave one hard thrust, seating himself fully within her. "You feel magnificent," he praised. "It's as if you were made just for me." He lowered his head to hers and kissed her lips as he began moving in and out.

"I love you, Lexi," he murmured, his thrusts slow and gentle, almost measured, as if nothing mattered more to him than her pleasure. He studied her, as if he were gauging her response. Then he shifted his body, adjusted his angle, allowing for deeper penetration. In an instant the pressure built and she felt stretched to bursting. A gasp tore from her, yet even as he lost himself inside her his thrusts remained measured. Before long, that familiar coil of tension began to build deep in her abdomen and slowly spiraled outward wrapping her in pleasure.

This was nothing like she'd ever experienced before. A slow climb toward a precipice that seemed to grow closer, yet remained just out of reach. Each time she thought she'd fall over the edge, she simply continued the climbed. His speed increased and with it so did the pressure. Before long, the air echoed with the sound of slapping flesh and the creaking of the bed and still he drove her higher. Guttaral grunts spilled from her adding to the cacaphany of sounds. The tension grew, until on the verge of pain, she writhed beneath his big body, helpless against the pleasure he bestowed upon her.

"I want you to come, Lexi," he whispered. She shuddered and then as if her body had purposely been waiting for his permission, her orgasm broke. Her body splintered as unimaginable pleasure course through her, boring into every fiber of her being. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him and her mouth fell open on a soundless cry.

A grin tipped his lips and before she could come down he drove her even higher as he picked up the pace, thrusting more forcefully. Her vision tunneled until nothing remained in focus but his face.

She watched, in awe, at the strain on his face, the way sweat beaded on his skin. His jaw clenched and his body stiffened as he finally achieved release. He growled, deep and low, the sound primal, exotic and highly arousing. A myriad of emotions passed across his face in the span of a few seconds and then she felt him deep inside her, filling her, Huntering her, changing her forever.

He collapsed next to her, his chest heaving, his body bathed in sweat. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that this episode of lovemaking had changed them both on levels they didn't even know existed. After several long seconds, he propped himself on his arms and lifted himself off her. He pulled away, leaving behind an oddly empty feeling.

Desperate not to lose the moment, she curled into him and trailed a finger along his chest. "I've never experienced anything so intense," she whispered.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Me either."

For reasons she'd couldn't quite explain, she felt closer to him, as if the weird connection they already shared had somehow been intensified by their episode of lovemaking. She turned her head and brushed a soft kiss along his jaw. "Thank you for not letting me go."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Happy for the first time in days, Lexi lay draped across Roman's chest. She tried to ignore the questions swirling in her head, like what was he doing here and when would he need to leave again? Instead, she wanted to focus on the all-encompassing feeling of contentment she currently enjoyed.

"What's going through that deviously little mind of yours?"

"Why?" She turned her head so she could see his face.

"Your body tensed."

The last thing she wanted was to weigh him down with her concerns. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it."

Before she could resist he'd flipped her over so he towered above her, his face a mask of impatience. "I grow tired of having to repeat myself, Lexi. Maybe, I should just flip you over my knee and spank that adorable ass of yours until you learn to share what's bothering you."

Her eyes widened in shock as her body tightened at the idea of his big hands controlling her body on such an elemental level.

He cocked his head to the side and a tiny smile tipped his lips. "Well isn't that interesting?"

"What?"

"I get the impression that you might actually like the idea of having your ass spanked." He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I'll tuck that information away for later, for now you're going to tell me what you were thinking about a few minutes ago."

"Bully," she retorted.

He stared down at her in silence his brow quirked up in response.

"Oh fine," she finally said after a moment. "I was trying not to think about the fact that at some point you're going to have to leave again."

"And the idea of me leaving made you sad?"

She nodded. "I've missed you so much these past few days. I'm trying not to think about when you have to leave again."

His mouth turned up into a grin. "When I do you're coming with me."

She pushed at him. "That's not funny, Roman."

"Who's joking?"

"Oh, come on." She shook her head. "Would you please be serious?"

"I am completely serious." He rolled off her and moved to sit back against the headboard. "I actually came to retrieve you, but the moment I set eyes on you, I couldn't think past my own needs."

She slid up the bed and tucked herself beneath his arm. "I didn't mind."

He chuckled. "I'm glad. My ego might be bruised otherwise."

"Your ego is just as big as the rest of you. I doubt it could be bruised that easily."

Grinning, he shook his head. "You are such a brat sometimes."

"But you love me anyway."

"You're right, I do, but we're getting off topic. Like I said, I came here to get you."

"But I quit."

He narrowed his gaze. "I'm well aware of that very stupid move you made. However, Vince refuses to accept your resignation as do nearly the entire WWE roster." He curled a finger beneath her chin, holding her face still. "You've been overruled, sweetheart."

"What do you mean overruled? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that Hunter has arranged for you to come back. Everyone on the roster now knows the truth and the important ones, like Chris and Randy know about you and me. In fact, we all sat down with Hunter and created this great storyline for you that would tie perfectly into that whole kidnapping debacle. Which for the record, was my terrible idea."

"Really?" She arched a brow and chose to ignore his attempt at self-depreciation. "You sat down with Chris and Randy?"

He nodded. "And John, Dean, Seth, Miz and about a dozen other stars who wanted to do their part to get you to come back."

She tried to picture them all together. "That must have been one hell of a sight."

"Oh it was," Roman agreed. "I had no idea you have so many friends."

Hope welled in her chest. Was it possible that she might get to have her life back? "So what's this storyline you mentioned?"

"Oh it's really great." The excitement in his voice made her smile. She found the dichotomy between the sexy alpha male who had just ravaged her and adorable little boy she was now witnessing so endearing. "You're going to get pissed off," he continued. "Over what you see as injustice with regard to the fact that no one believed you weren't kidnapped."

So far, she liked what she heard. "And?" she asked, hoping there was more.

"And you're going to join _The Shield_." He grinned.

Joy slowly flowed through her, filling her heart it overflowed. "I like it."

"Me too. So do Dean and Seth. They miss you too, you know."

"Really?"

"Yes really. I know it's hard for you to believe, but you've become such a part of our lives, Lexi. Not having you around this past week has been like walking around with a limb missing and we don't want to do it anymore." He pulled her against him. "So what do you say, sweetheart? Will you come back and make us all whole again?"

"I'd love to, she replied, then frowned as a thought occurred to her. "Wait...I just thought of something."

"What?"

"How did you know that my father wasn't here?"

"What?"

"You were ready to strip me naked downstairs. No way would you have done that if you _knew_ my father was home. So how did you know he wasn't here?"

"Oh that?" Roman grinned. "I called him the other day to fill him in on what we were doing. That's when he told me about his book tour."

"You called him? How did you get his number?"

"He gave it to me when you were in the hospital after I promised to take care of you."

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about Roman having a direct line to her dad. Edge never really liked her father. Of course the feeling was mutual, which put her smack in the middle of a constant feud. This time around it appeared as if the men she loved actually got along. How would that play out for her? "So how often to you talk to my father behind my back?"

"Only as often as necessary. You know he mentioned to me that he'd love to have a son-in-law."

Her gaze jerked to his face as shock rippled through her body. Stunned, she couldn't find the words to speak.

His grin widened. "I told him, I'd do my best to accommodate that wish, but I'd need some cooperation from his daughter."

"Roman," she whispered as hope lodged in her throat. She loved him more than she'd ever loved anyone. Was it really possible for her to have everything she'd ever wanted? Could she find the happiness that had eluded her so long?

He turned to her, his gaze filled with love and respect. "I'm not saying we run out tomorrow and get married, but maybe at some point in the future. What do you say, Lexi?"

Now riding high on the peak of that emotional roller coaster, tears welled in her eyes. "Yes. I say yes."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Lexi stepped from the bathroom and turned in a circle for her guys. "What do you think?"

Dean nodded and Seth grinned. Roman assed her then gave her an approving look. "Gorgeous."

"Are you sure you like my hair this color?" Part of her new persona was to dye her hair black. With long straight black hair, instead of the mahogany corkscrews she was used to wearing, she looked menacing, almost Gothic in appearance.

"I love the look. It's sexy as hell," he grabbed her by the waist and she enjoyed the heat of his hand against her bare belly. "I love the black crop tee and those black cargo pants give you a sexy ass kicker feel."

She cocked her head to the side and licked a path along the pulse in his neck. "You think me being an ass kicker, is sexy?"

"Oh yeah." He lowered his head and whispered. "I also love knowing that my little ass kicker will readily submit to me whenever I want." He nipped at her chin and pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sank against him. No place in the world, not even being inside the ring, compared to the feeling she got when he held her like this.

"Down boy," Dean called from behind them. "Put your animal instincts on hold, because she's got a debut to make."

Roman cursed under his breath, then took a step back. "I hate it when he's right."

She grinned, then leaned into him and whispered. "After my welcome back party tonight I'm yours for the taking."

"I'm holding you to that."

The door opened behind them and Emma's new assistant Patty stuck her head into the room. "It's time, Lexi."

"Thanks."

She walked out and took the elevator to the main floor where she positioned herself and waited. _The Shield _music began and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Roman was still here. He was her touchstone, her rock, and she needed him tonight.

Within seconds, she made her way down the steps and through the crowd.

Kaitlyn waited in the ring for her, amusement in her eyes, but a look of defiance otherwise plastered across her face. Lexi's guys assembled behind her, a protective wall of strength for her to draw upon. It was time to remove any doubt the crowd might have as to her allegiance.

She turned to Roman, lifted a hand to his cheek and brushed a kiss across his lips, then she backed away and slid beneath the bottom rope into the ring.

For the next ten minutes she worked with Kaitlyn, trading moves and putting on a show for the crowd. Kaitlyn played her part well and Lexi took a few good falls, playing up the pain for the crowd. Yes, she'd be sore in the morning, but some minor discomfort was a small price to pay for having her life back.

Enjoying the moment, Lexi climbed to the top turnbuckle, positioned herself and leaped, catching Kaitlyn in a flying kick. She hit the mat with a thud, then scrambled to her feet and quickly maneuvered Kaitlyn into the signature Hart Sharpshooter. Within seconds, Kaitlyn tapped out.

The bell rang and Lexi raised her hands in victory as Roman, Dean and Seth joined her in the ring. "Yeah," she yelled. "Believe in the shield!"

Without waiting for her after match interview with Matt Striker, she turned and motioned for them to leave. Roman slid from the ring and hopped the barrier, then lifted her up and over as if she weighed nothing. Later, she'd give her interview in a live promo that would tell the world why she'd joined _The Shield_. For now she'd have a bottle of water, a rub down, and enjoy the fact that for this moment in time, everything was right in her world.


	26. Chapter 26

It was brought to my attention this morning that there is a story on another fan fiction site that is eerily similar to Finding Faith (Leap of Faith). I'm not going to post the link or name the site here as I don't want to send any traffic to that person.

Her story is written completely differently, so it's not in fact direct plagiarism. However, it is obvious that she's read Leap of Faith as the plot points are exactly the same and fall in the exact same order.

_~ Daughter of a wrestling legend_

_~ Former involvement with a fellow wrestler that leads to a broken heart and resulting car accident that nearly kills her._

_~ Falling in love with Roman_

_~ Mention of the position of backstage coordinator_

_~ In ring accident/head injury and resulting kidnapping storyline_

Her story isn't finished so I'm not sure if she would have continued with taking my plot points.

However, I just want anyone to know that might come across this story after reading the other one that mine actually came first. It was originally posted here on FF in April of 2013 before I took it down and the rewritten original fiction of this story was sold to my publisher in June 2013 and published in August. That person began posting in July 2013 over there. The plot points are in fact my idea that the other person has 'borrowed'. Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that as I don't want to be accused of plagiarizing someone when it's actually the other way around.

Thank you to NESSAANCLAIME6913 for bringing it to my attention.

Sienna


End file.
